Senator Blocks Bill Requiring Congressional Approval To Demolish Kennedy Center

A Republican senator on Monday blocked a bipartisan bid to require congressional approval before any presidential memorial could be demolished — an effort prompted by growing concerns that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could be at risk amid a contentious naming dispute involving President Donald Trump.

What happened: Senators Jeff Merkley (D‑Ore.) and Lisa Murkowski (R‑Alaska), who oversee the Senate subcommittee that funds the Kennedy Center, sought to pass the "Protecting Presidential Memorials Act" by unanimous consent. That measure would require an act of Congress before demolishing any national memorial that honors a U.S. president, and would cover sites such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Sen. Mike Lee (R‑Utah) objected to unanimous consent, halting the fast-track passage and saying the proposal should go through the regular committee process.

Senators' statements: On the Senate floor, Merkley framed the move as a response to concerns that the president planned to demolish the Kennedy Center. Lee's office told USA TODAY that Democrats should focus on measures to lower the cost of living and secure elections rather than pursuing "partisan scaremongering," according to a statement shared by Communications Director Billy Gribbin.

Background of the Kennedy Center Dispute

The controversy began after the Kennedy Center's board — which critics say was reshaped by Trump allies — voted in December 2025 to add President Trump's name to the building's facade. In June 2026 a federal judge ordered that the name be removed, finding that changing the name of a memorial to an assassinated president requires an act of Congress. A subsequent ruling in September 2026 reiterated that the addition of Trump's name could not stand without congressional action.

Trump's name was removed under court order, though a tarp remains where the inscription once was. The dispute escalated when part of the center's ceiling collapsed in early September, and on Sept. 15 the Kennedy Center board voted to close the facility for two years while repairs are made.

Merkley also pointed to a photograph taken inside Air Force One that appears to show the president looking at a poster reading "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED." The photo was taken hours after the president told reporters the memorial "will end up being ripped down" unless major renovations are undertaken.

Wider Context

Lawmakers and commentators have placed the Kennedy Center fight in a broader pattern of high‑profile rebrandings and renamings tied to the Trump administration, including executive orders and state actions that rechristened public places, federal entities and programs. Examples cited include efforts to rename bodies of water and public facilities and policy initiatives such as a proposed high‑fee immigration residency program and revisions to agency branding.

What's next: Because Sen. Lee objected to unanimous consent, the bill will not advance immediately. Merkley and Murkowski can pursue the measure through the committee process or attempt another procedural route, but the episode underscores how a single senator can halt unanimous‑consent measures and how naming and preservation issues can intersect with broader political fights in Washington.

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