Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) blocked a bipartisan bill that aimed to prevent the demolition of any national memorial honoring a U.S. president, specifically intended to protect the Kennedy Center, without congressional approval. The proposed legislation, known as the Protecting Presidential Memorials Act, was led by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). This action follows remarks by President Donald Trump, who suggested he would have the performing arts facility 'ripped down' if he did not receive acknowledgment for the over $250 million renovation project for the center.
The senators sought to pass the bill on Monday evening through a unanimous consent process, which allows legislation to bypass standard Senate rules unless a lawmaker objects. The one-page bill would have prohibited any potential demolition of the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Memorial, and Thomas Jefferson Memorial without an act of Congress. However, Lee objected to the bill's passage when it was brought to the floor by Merkley.
Merkley commented, 'Unfortunately, a colleague objected to this common-sense bill. Trump's threats are straight out of the authoritarian playbook and should infuriate every American who values our nation’s history and the rule of law.' Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) also co-sponsored the legislation.
In response to his objection, Lee stated, 'Democrats should join us in lowering the cost of living and securing American elections instead of wasting the Senate’s time with partisan scaremongering they haven’t even tried to run through the appropriate committee process.' The morning after Lee blocked the bill, Merkley and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) introduced it in both the House and Senate.
Pingree remarked, 'For Donald Trump to attempt to usurp this great memorial by putting his own name above JFK’s — and then threaten to demolish the building if he doesn’t get his way — is beyond the pale. When Congress designates a place to memorialize a president, no administration should be able to tear it down on a whim. This bill establishes a simple safeguard: if Congress created the designation, only an act of Congress can authorize its demolition.'
Trump has been pursuing a renovation project for the center, which he claims is in a 'virtual state of collapse,' despite concerns from lawmakers and the public regarding the closure of the landmark for two years. The performing arts center has been closed since September 15, and a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to provide 30 days’ notice before proceeding with any demolition project.
The president has expressed dissatisfaction with the court's blocking of the addition of his name to the front facade of the building. In a 71-page brief filed on Monday, the Justice Department, representing Trump in his ongoing legal battle over the center, argued that previous votes by the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees to affix Trump's name had been struck down in error. DOJ attorney Brett Shumate stated, 'Further, the recognition of the President’s contributions does not constitute a ‘memorial’ as that word is ordinarily understood in this context, and thus the statutory prohibition does not apply.' Shumate also claimed the center has become 'dangerously dilapidated' and 'fundamentally unsafe to employees and patrons alike,' asserting that Trump's efforts are the 'sole hope for the Center’s financial survival and structural renewal.'