Overview
- Rep. Joyce Beatty filed a new federal motion seeking to stop the Kennedy Center’s two‑year closure set to start in July and to remove President Trump’s name from the building.
- Her brief says the touted one‑year review never occurred and notes the center produced older reports from 2021–2024 that did not call for a full shutdown or outside expert input.
- Beatty also challenges board actions after she says she was blocked from voting on December’s renaming, and she notes the board, chaired by Trump, later set a July 7 start for the closure.
- Court filings include a $257 million draft budget funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with major spending on waterproofing and roof work, venue upgrades led by $23 million for the Concert Hall, and $78.2 million for core systems like piping, electrical and the central plant.
- The Kennedy Center says a judge will uphold the name change and the renovation schedule, even as high‑profile artists and groups, including Philip Glass, Issa Rae, Renée Fleming, Hamilton and the Washington National Opera, have pulled their shows.