The House Appropriations Committee has voted to rename the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., after First Lady Melania Trump — a move tucked into a broader government funding bill aimed at avoiding a potential shutdown in late September.
While no Republicans voted against it, one Democrat, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), a moderate and co-chair of the Blue Dog Caucus, voted in favor of the amendment. The final vote was 33-25.
The Kennedy Center Opera House, as it is presently known, would be renamed the First Lady Melania Trump Opera House if the bill is ultimately passed.
Republican Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho, who introduced the amendment, touted the move in the moments before the amendment passed. He said it was an "excellent way to recognize [Mrs. Trump's] support and commitment to promoting the arts."
According to a letter sent in May by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, Grenell requested $256,657,000 for the Center's 2026 budget, nearly six times more than the previously requested amount.
The First Lady currently serves as the Honorary Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Center's Board of Directors. President Donald Trump led an effort to install himself as Chairman in February, firing many members of the organization's board and the previous president. President Trump swiftly appointed new board members and a longtime loyalist, Ambassador Ric Grenell, as the Center's new president and interim executive director. Since taking over, numerous changes and artist cancellations have occurred at the historic performing arts venue, which had long been largely insulated from political influence. Prior to President Trump's second term, the organization's board had consisted of a mix of appointees from Democratic and Republican Presidents.
While the amendment renaming the Opera House has been approved by the House Appropriations Committee, there is still a long way before the renaming requirement can become law. The full House of Representatives would need to vote to approve the bill without changes, which isn't expected to occur before September. Additionally, in the U.S. Senate, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has yet to finalize their version of the bill, which will fund the Kennedy Center. Senators are expected to hold their next markup, to finalize and advance their version of the bill, on Thursday.
