Congress Must Control Any Kennedy Center Shutdown Or Rebuild

CONGRESS MUST CONTROL ANY KENNEDY CENTER SHUTDOWN OR REBUILD As your constituent, I urge you to immediately assert Congressional authority to supervise and control any proposed shutdown, renovation, or reconstruction of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This includes the publicly announced plan to halt operations for approximately two years beginning in July 2026. Congress must first assess whether any remodeling or reconstruction is actually necessary before allowing such changes to proceed. Congress must also require clear legal authority, formal approval, and full transparency before any long-term closure or major physical alteration of this federally owned institution occurs. THE ANNOUNCED TWO-YEAR CLOSURE RAISES SERIOUS OVERSIGHT CONCERNS Public statements describe a plan for construction, revitalization, and complete rebuilding of the Kennedy Center, paired with a full suspension of entertainment operations for roughly two years. However, these statements provide no detailed public plan. They disclose no budget, identify no funding sources, and offer no explanation of how such actions comply with existing federal law governing national cultural institutions. THE KENNEDY CENTER IS FEDERAL PROPERTY SUBJECT TO CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY The Kennedy Center is owned by the United States and exists by act of Congress as a national cultural institution and memorial. While a Board of Trustees manages day-to-day operations, Congress retains ultimate authority over federal property, major capital projects, and appropriations. Any determination that major remodeling or reconstruction is needed must be evaluated and authorized by Congress itself, rather than assumed or announced unilaterally. UNILATERAL ACTION RISKS HARM TO THE PUBLIC AND THE CENTER’S MISSION A two-year closure would disrupt artists, staff, educators, students, and the public nationwide. It would also suspend access to a cultural institution held in public trust. Proceeding without Congressional supervision and without an independent assessment of necessity risks politicization and loss of public confidence. Such an approach also risks decisions that prioritize expediency or branding over preservation, access, and lawful governance. CONGRESSIONAL ACTIONS ARE REQUIRED NOW (1) Conduct or commission an independent assessment of whether remodeling or reconstruction of the Kennedy Center is necessary before authorizing or permitting any such changes. (2) Hold immediate oversight hearings requiring sworn testimony on the legal authority, scope, funding, and timeline of any proposed Kennedy Center shutdown or reconstruction. (3) Require explicit Congressional authorization before any long-term closure, major renovation, reconstruction, or alteration of the Center’s purpose or identity. (4) Direct the GAO and CRS to review governance authority, compliance with federal law, and risks to the Center’s statutory mission, and report findings to Congress. (5) Condition any federal funding on transparency, competitive procurement, conflict-of-interest safeguards, and regular public reporting. (6) Require a continuity plan to protect displaced performances, educational programs, and workers during any renovation period. Thank you.