Trump’s Kennedy Center Would Get $257 Million in House Republican Plan

Since led an impressive acquisition of the John F. Kennedy center for the performing arts at the beginning of his second term, President Trump has repeatedly lamented the condition of the building. He described the center, which he opened in 1971, as in “tremendous evil”, and has talked about the need for important renewal.

Now republican legislators seem to be attending their call. A committee from the House of Representatives approved a budget proposal last week that required to allocate $ 257 million to the Kennedy center for capital repairs and other exenses, approximately six times the amount it generally receives from the governor. It is a part of the great reconciliation measure, which Trump calls his “great bill,” that Republicans are writing and hope to boost congress in the coming months.

The Transport and Infrastructure Committee of the House of Representatives, which has jurisdiction on federal buildings, said in a statement on Tuesday that the “component of the proposal that provides funds for repair and maintenance needs at the Kennedy center was requested by the President.”

The White House refused to discuss the details of the proposal, which is still making its way through the house as the reconciliation package takes shape.

“President Trump cares deeply about US arts and culture, so he is revitalizing historical institutions such as the Kennedy center of his ancient greatness,” said Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, in a statement.

The Kennedy center declined to comment.

The center generally receives about $ 43 million in federal funds, which are destined for operations, maintenance and property repairs. That is approximately 16 percent of its annual budget of $ 268 million.

Some Democrats have expressed concern about the committee’s proposal, which occurs when Trump is making radical cuts to the arts, proposing the elimination of the national endowment for the arts and canceling the offers of current subsidies to cultural organizations.

The representative Chellie Pingree de Maine, the main democrat of the subcommittee of the House of Representatives that supervises the endowment of the arts, described the increase in spending in the Kennedy center as “exorbitant.” He sent a letter on Tuesday to Richard Grenell, whom Trump made president of the Kennedy center, demanding a “detailed account of how the Kennedy center intends to use this financing, in case it is approved by Congress.”

In a statement, Mrs. Pingree said: “While I appreciate President Trump’s interest in the future of the center and the serious need for funds, we must ensure that the funds assigned by the Congress are really benefits to the artists and the public who provide attention to the Forces. Guarantee that it is not being used to reward loyalty or banks of banks of banks under cultural investment.”

The Office of the Representative Sam Graves de Missouri, the main Republican in the Transport and Infrastructure Committee, did not respond to the requests for comments.

The money for the Kennedy center is included in a 22 -page bill approved by the Committee last week. The proposal includes around $ 242 million for “necessary expenses for the repair and restoration of capital and the site”, together with $ 7.7 million for “operation, maintenance and security” and $ 7.2 million for “administrative expenses”.

Trump, who became president of the Kennedy Center in February after purging his historically bipartisan of the Board of Biden designated, has repeatedly criticized the center’s facilities.

When the president visited the center in March to preside over a meeting of the Board, he belittled his appearance. (Its architecture has caused criticism from the beginning). He touched the problem with the expansion of the center of 2019, which cost $ 250 million that was collected privately, saying that “these rooms that no one is going to use.” And he said that the signing columns of the center must be covered with marble or granite.

“They never covered the beam I,” he said, according to a recording of the meeting of the Board that was obtained by the New York Times. He added: “I think the beams and should be covered with a little stone marble, but marble is a bad outdoor stone, but it looks better than granite. But it should be covered.

Trump also promised at the meeting to look for money for the Kennedy Congress Center to help “bring him back.”

Mr. Grenelll and his team in the Kennedy center have proposed to rebuild the institution. They have tried to reduce costs and reduce staff; Approximately 40 staff members have been fired since Trump’s acquisition. And they have promised changes in programming, they thought they have not yet sacrificed a detailed vision.

The president is expected to attend a fundraising and the performance of “Les Misérables” at the Kennedy center in June. He is a fan of Broadway musicals in the 1980s, including “Les Mass”, “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera”. An invitation sacrificed a level of gold sponsorship for $ 2 million and a silver sponsorship for $ 100,000; Both come with photo opportunities with Mr. Trump.