House Republicans are pushing to rename the iconic opera house within the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in honor of First Lady Melania Trump.
In an amendment attached to a funding bill for the Interior Department, GOP lawmakers proposed designating the venue as the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.” The measure was introduced by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) during a House Appropriations Committee meeting on Tuesday.
“Yes, we renamed the opera house at the Kennedy Center for the first lady, who is the honorary chairman of the board of trustees,” Simpson said. He called the move an “excellent way to recognize” Mrs. Trump’s “support and commitment to promoting the arts.”
The amendment passed the committee in a 35-22 vote, with one Democrat—Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez—joining Republicans in support.
The fate of the proposal remains uncertain, however. The full House has yet to vote on the larger spending bill, and any final government funding package will require bipartisan agreement with the Senate. Lawmakers are scheduled to recess on Wednesday and will face a tight window in September to finalize federal appropriations before a looming shutdown deadline.
The First Lady’s office declined to comment when contacted by CNN.
Earlier this year, the Kennedy Center’s newly restructured board of trustees elected President Donald Trump as its chairman.
“It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees,” President Trump said in a statement posted to Truth Social at the time. “We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!”
