Full Breakdown
Senate Bill Aims to Block Demolition of the Kennedy Center
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will introduce legislation that would prohibit the demolition of any presidential memorial designated by Congress—including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—without explicit congressional approval. The sponsors plan to seek unanimous consent in the Senate early next week, a procedural move that would allow the measure to pass if no senator objects. The bill has bipartisan backing from other appropriators, including Senators Jack Reed, Sheldon Whitehouse and Chris Van Hollen.
Background & Context
President Donald J. Trump, who chairs the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, has repeatedly threatened to demolish the 55-year-old venue unless his name is added to the building. In February 2025 he reshaped the board, appointing allies and pursuing a rename to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” A federal court ruled in May that the board’s attempt to inscribe Trump’s name violated the center’s founding law, which designates it as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered the center to provide at least 30 days’ notice before any major physical changes, including demolition. The venue was temporarily closed after a ceiling plaster collapse in the Grand Foyer, with executive director Matt Floca extending the closure through the end of the month for emergency repairs.
Key Figures & Groups
- Jeff Merkley — Senate Appropriations ranking member, chief sponsor.
- Lisa Murkowski — Senate Interior-Environment subcommittee chair, co-sponsor.
- Mike Simpson — House Interior-Environment subcommittee chairman.
- President Donald J. Trump — Chairman of the Kennedy Center board.
- Rep. Joyce Beatty — Plaintiff in lawsuits challenging the board’s actions.
- Chris Raleigh — Co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, protest organizer.
Data & Statistics
- $257 million approved in 2025 for capital repairs and maintenance at the Kennedy Center.
Official Statements & Responses
- Merkley’s spokesperson, Justin Krakoff, confirmed that Merkley will seek unanimous consent to pass the bill.
- Judge Cooper ruled that the center must give 30 days’ notice before any demolition and that only Congress can authorize a name change for the memorial.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’re not going to tear down and bulldoze the Kennedy Center,” — Mike Simpson, interior-environment subcommittee chairman
- “We got up one morning and there was a giant hole there.” — Chris Raleigh, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts
Why It Matters
The Kennedy Center was established by Congress in 1964 as a “living memorial” to President Kennedy. Allowing its demolition without legislative approval would set a precedent for executive overreach over federally created memorials and could jeopardize the preservation of cultural institutions that rely on congressional funding and oversight.
What’s Next
The Senate is expected to consider the demolition-protection bill next week via unanimous consent. Court proceedings continue, with discovery deadlines extending through October. Murkowski indicated that appropriators may hold an oversight briefing later this year to examine the status of the $257 million renovation program.