House Committee Proposes $257 Million Funding Package for Kennedy Center

The funding comprises approximately six times what the Center usually receives from government, and will be spent mainly on capital repairs

A House Committee has approved a proposal, supported by President Trump, to allocated a funding injection of $257 million to The Kennedy Center. If successful, the funding package would constitute approximately six times the funding that the Center usually receives from the government, according to The New York Times.

The rationale for the funding is major capital repairs and other expenses. An earlier piece of reporting by The New York Times noted that Trump has wanted to upgrade the Center's buildings for some time, describing the precinct as being in "tremendous disrepair."

As well as basic repairs, Trump suggested that the Center add a band shell on the Potomac — and also expressed a desire to cover the Center's columns with marble or granite.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee later confirmed that the "component of the proposal that provides funding for repairs and maintenance needs at the Kennedy Center was requested by the president."

The full proposal is publicly available here.

In a statement, Democratic representative Chellie Pingree of Maine wrote that the proposed funding increase for the Center was "exorbitant," and requested a more detailed breakdown of how the funding would be allocated if the proposal were to be approved.

"While I appreciate President Trump’s interest in the center’s future and the dire need for funding, we must ensure that funds appropriated by Congress are truly benefiting the artists and audiences that make the Kennedy Center great," Pingree said. "We need transparency on how this money would be spent and assurance it’s not being used to reward loyalty or bankroll pet projects under the guise of cultural investment."

Pingree also referred to the many arts organizations that have recently had funding from the National Endowment for the Arts withdrawn. 

"These organizations, like countless others, had already made programming decisions for the upcoming season and were counting on these funds to pay artists and workers," she said.

"President Trump cares deeply about American arts and culture, which is why he is revitalizing historic institutions like the Kennedy Center to their former greatness," said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.