1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I have read your response regarding the attempted renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and frankly, it is internally contradictory and evasive. You state that you “appreciate hearing of [my] opposition” and acknowledge that many Americans are upset by the Board of Trustees’ vote. Yet nowhere in your letter do you express your own opposition to that vote, nor do you indicate that you have taken—or intend to take—any action to stop it. Acknowledging public outrage while declining to act on it is not leadership; it is deflection. You correctly explain that Congress, and Congress alone, has the legal authority to rename the Kennedy Center. You emphasize that the 1964 law made the Center a living memorial to President Kennedy and that the law has not changed. But having laid out that clear legal reality, you then immediately minimize the Board’s conduct by repeatedly describing the renaming as “informal,” as if that somehow excuses it. If the Board lacks the authority to rename the institution, then its unanimous vote was not merely symbolic—it was an improper assertion of power it does not possess. Calling it “informal” does not make it appropriate, lawful, or harmless. You also note that legislation to rename the Center after Donald Trump has stalled in committee. That fact alone underscores the problem: the renaming failed to pass through the democratic process, so the Board attempted to sidestep Congress entirely. Your letter explains why this was wrong, yet stops short of condemning it. That inconsistency is glaring. More troubling is that this is not a cost-free stunt. As you yourself acknowledge, artists have canceled performances in protest. That means lost ticket revenue, lost donations, damaged partnerships, and long-term reputational harm. The Kennedy Center is now bleeding money because performers are refusing to appear at a venue that has been politicized in direct violation of its congressional mandate. This does not “own the libs” or score abstract political points—it actively harms the arts in the United States and undermines one of our premier cultural institutions. Your letter treats this fallout as a footnote rather than the serious consequence of unlawful and reckless behavior. Since you are a member of Congress, you are precisely the person who has the authority—and the responsibility—to act. If the Kennedy Center’s name is to be preserved and its legal mandate enforced, it is Congress that must intervene, not the Board. Your refusal to take a clear stand or push for legislative action amounts to abdicating your duty while letting political vanity and poor judgment damage a national institution. Finally, you mention the pending lawsuit as if it were merely another development rather than evidence that the Board’s action was so improper it required judicial intervention. When a board disregards the law and the intent of Congress, public backlash and legal challenge are not unfortunate side effects—they are the predictable result of misconduct. In short, your letter explains why the Board’s action is legally void, while simultaneously declining to say that it should be reversed or that Congress should intervene. You cannot both affirm congressional authority and shrug when that authority is undermined. If you believe the Kennedy Center should remain the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, then say so plainly and act accordingly. If you do not, then stop hiding behind procedural explanations while allowing a legally established memorial and a major arts institution to be damaged for political vanity. I expect clarity, not hedging.