1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

I hope you are supporting Rep. Joyce Beatty in her lawsuit about the Kennedy Center. She's fighting to get access to the Board meeting on the 16th when they're supposed to vote on the closure. As an ex-officio Board member I hope you are planning to attend. They are refusing to invite her, though she is also an ex-officio member of the Board. Nor will they give her the materials to read. That's why she filed an emergency motion on Friday. Reading between the lines I think she is implying that the documents one would expect to be prepared and distributed prior to the meeting, likely don't exist. It is so obvious that Trump announced that the Kennedy Center has to be closed for two years "for renovations" because of a spiteful whim, not based on engineering data. The Kennedy Center has completed numerous renovations over decades — including recent major projects — without ever requiring closure. That reflects sustained, professional arts management. Running one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions is a spec ialized responsibility, and it’s reasonable to ask whether those without substantial experi ence in arts governance are prepared for that role. (That's the polite version of my opinion!) Please support Rep. Beatty, attend the meeting, vote against closure, and remind the Board that only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center.