Kennedy Center Slated for Huge Funding Increase While Local Arts Slashed Under Trump Plans
By Ashley Murray, States Newsroom
A Democratic lawmaker is asking why House Republicans approved nearly six times the requested funding for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as President Donald Trump cancels federal grants for arts organizations across the United States.
Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, the ranking member of the subcommittee that oversees funding for the Kennedy Center, requested a detailed accounting of the $256.6 million for the center included in the Republican-led budget reconciliation package.
The Kennedy Center, a renowned venue in Washington, D.C., had originally requested just $45.73 million for fiscal year 2025. Trump in February took over chairmanship of the center’s board, leading to some artists canceling their performances.
ABC News reported Tuesday that Trump will headline a fundraiser for the center next month.
In a letter Tuesday to Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell, Pingree asked for a breakdown of how the organization plans to spend over $241.7 million on capital repairs projects, $7.7 million on operations and maintenance, and a further $7.2 million on administrative expenses.
The center had only planned on spending $157 million on repairs projects through 2027 as part of a comprehensive building plan, according to its 2025 budget request.
“I am committed to the Kennedy Center having the resources necessary to carry out its mission now and for many years to come, and I appreciate President Trump’s shared interest in the Center’s future,” wrote Pingree, who co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus.
“However, as this Administration seeks to eliminate vital cultural agencies that serve communities across the nation, we must ensure that funds appropriated by Congress are truly benefitting the artists and audiences that make the Kennedy Center great,” Pingree wrote.
Pingree slammed the Trump administration’s late Friday notice that grant funding from the National Endowment for Arts would be withdrawn from organizations across the country. Trump’s budget request to Congress Friday recommended slashing the NEA completely.
Pingree issued a statement Saturday morning saying her office had already begun hearing from Maine arts organizations who received grant termination emails. “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,” Pingree said.
‘This Project is Essential’
A White House official told States Newsroom Wednesday that Trump had worked with Congress to arrive at the Kennedy Center funding figure.
“This project is essential to advancing President Trump’s vision of restoring greatness to our Nation’s capital. Halting Anti-American propaganda is critical to protecting our children and fostering patriotism,” according to the official.
Separately, an emailed statement attributed to White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that “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.”
The White House did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about the termination of other arts funding.
The Kennedy Center did not respond to States Newsroom’s requests for comment about how the funds will be used and whether Grenell had received Pingree’s request.
A House Republican document outlining the party’s funding goals for 2024 shows the GOP-led House Committee on Appropriations had planned $44.9 million for the Kennedy Center that year, noting the amount was $454,000 below 2023 funding levels and $3.1 million below former President Joe Biden’s budget request.
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