Trump may have his name on the building but it's still the Kennedy Center to Congress
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
no matter whose name is on the facade, Congress writes the check. True enough. But it also dodges the harder question: why taxpayers are expected to bankroll a cultural institution that too often behaves like a political clubhouse.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
A bipartisan spending package released Monday by House Speaker Mike Johnson includes $32 million for operating expenses at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through Sept. 30, 2027.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
no matter whose name is on the facade, Congress writes the check. True enough. But it also dodges the harder question: why taxpayers are expected to bankroll a cultural institution that too often behaves like a political clubhouse.
Conservatives are not hostile to the arts. We are skeptical of permanent subsidies that drift away from broad public value and toward elite signaling. If the Kennedy Center wants to showcase contentious programming, it should have the freedom to do so, but also the responsibility to attract private support instead of leaning on Washington.
This is about public trust, fiscal restraint, and fairness to taxpayers. If Congress funds it, Congress should demand accountability and institutional neutrality, or shrink the commitment.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.