House Republicans Approve Amendment to Rename Kennedy Center Opera House After First Lady Melania Trump

House Republicans have advanced an amendment to rename the Kennedy Center's Opera House, a 2,364-seat theater and the second largest venue in the complex, as the First Lady Melania Trump Opera House. The amendment was approved along party lines by the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday during a markup of the bill funding the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies for fiscal year 2026. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, supported the change, stating it is an excellent way to recognize Melania Trump's support and commitment to promoting the arts.

The proposal follows President Donald Trump's February dismissal of Kennedy Center board members appointed by former President Joe Biden and the installation of his own supporters, including his own appointment as board president. This marks a shift from the traditionally bipartisan leadership and patronage at the Kennedy Center since its opening in 1971. Four large portraits of the current and former first couples currently hang in the Hall of Nations at the center.

House Democrat Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) criticized the amendment as "divisive" and claimed Republicans "snuck in" the name change without broader approval for renaming parts of the center. She also noted that despite proposing a 17 percent budget cut to the center for fiscal 2026—down to $37 million from the previous year—the Republican tax bill signed by Trump had included $257 million for repairs, restoration, maintenance, and security at the Kennedy Center. Pingree emphasized that Republicans have given the president "six times the normal amount of money to run the Kennedy Center," including control over the board and the naming rights for parts or possibly the entire center.

The amendment would become law if Congress passes the House GOP spending bill. However, because Senate spending bills require 60 votes to pass, Democrats may be able to remove the naming provision from the final package. The first lady traditionally serves as an honorary chair of the Kennedy Center board. No immediate comment was provided by Melania Trump's spokesperson.

House Republicans included an amendment in a spending bill for the Interior Department to rename the John F. Kennedy Center's opera house in Washington, DC, as the "First Lady Melania Trump Opera House." The amendment was introduced by Idaho GOP Rep. Mike Simpson during the House Appropriations Committee meeting on Tuesday. The measure was adopted by the committee with a vote of 35 to 22, including support from Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Rep. Simpson stated this renaming was an excellent way to recognize First Lady Melania Trump's support and commitment to the arts; she serves as the honorary chairman of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees. It remains uncertain whether the full House will pass this bill or if the amendment can be included in a bipartisan agreement with the Senate before government funding deadlines. The House was set to recess on Wednesday, and lawmakers face limited time upon return in September before federal funding expires. The First Lady's office did not respond to requests for comment about the renaming.