Kennedy Center renaming could be challenged over congressional authority

‘What’s in a reputation? What we name a rose would scent simply as candy by another identify.” That query, posed by Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, now appears to eat a lot of Washington. At a Christmas occasion with lots of Washington media, I used to be requested the query extra succinctly and repeatedly as ‘can they try this?

Round Christmas, Ohio Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio member of the board, introduced her lawsuit over the identify change.

As a threshold subject, I’ll talk about the authorized slightly than coverage foundation for the change. Many people had been aggravated by the brand new identify of the middle, which was a memorial to an assassinated president. What folks wish to know, nonetheless, is whether or not the change may be challenged. The reply is sure, however its end result won’t essentially be simple or sure.

The middle was initially constructed by legislation in 1958 as a Nationwide Cultural Heart. It was renamed the John F. Kennedy Heart by act of Congress in 1964 as a residing monument.

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Employees set up Donald J. Trump above present signage on the Kennedy Heart on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photograph)

Crucial query is how that designation happened. It was codified in a statute handed by Congress. Titled John F. Kennedy Heart for the Performing Arts, 20 USC 3, it states that “no further memorials or plaques within the nature of memorials shall be designated or put in within the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Heart for the Performing Arts.”

There are exceptions in Articles 2 and three of the supply:

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“(2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection doesn’t apply to—

(A) a plaque in honor of a present from overseas;

(B) a plaque on a theater seat or field recognizing the reward of such seat or field; And

(C) any inscription on the marble partitions within the North or South Galleries, the Corridor of States or the Corridor of Nations recognizing a big contribution; …

(3) For the needs of this subsection, testimonials and profit performances shall not be construed as memorials.”

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The language helps Congress’ intent to guard the monument from any modifications or dilutions. The specificity of the plaque exceptions for donors means that different main modifications, corresponding to a reputation change, are prohibited beneath federal legislation. Furthermore, the middle is called by an act of Congress. It’s tough to seek out any authority of the board that would overturn or delegate this energy.

President Donald Trump (L) presents actor Sylvester Stallone (R) with a 2025 Kennedy Heart Honorees medal throughout a medal ceremony within the Oval Workplace of the White Home on December 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Photos)

There’s a reliable query as as to if a reputation change is an “further memorial or plaque,” ​​nevertheless it seems to be so. If a easy plaque for donors had been to be expressly excluded, giant letters dedicating the middle to a further individual would appear to fall inside the intent of Congress.

Nonetheless, the Trump administration may quote the servant Sampson from “Romeo and Juliet” and inform a courtroom to “take it in no matter sense you need,” however the statute doesn’t expressly say that identify modifications are a memorial.

Challengers may argue that, beneath the administration’s interpretation, each monument established by Congress, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Kennedy Presidential Library, may very well be renamed or hyphenated.

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If a courtroom agrees that the statute displays a transparent intent by Congress to ban any modification to the memorial, the query is how this may be challenged.

In any authorized problem, the benefit possible lies with the challengers if they will meet the standing necessities.

Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and sister of Secretary of Well being and Human Companies Robert F. Kennedy Jr., introduced: “Three years and a month from in the present day, I will seize a pickaxe and get these letters off that constructing, however I need assistance holding the ladder. Are you in? Apply for my carpenter’s card in the present day, so it will be a union job!!!”

I would not suggest that strategy. Most legal professionals attempt to forestall their purchasers from falling from nice heights.

The query is who has the chance to problem the change. Had been Kennedy members of the family injured in any concrete technique to fulfill their standing? The associative standing of historic preservation teams may be tough. Nevertheless, some could check these waters quickly.

The obvious technique to handle the difficulty is for Congress to be heard. It could affirm the board’s choice, or it could expressly declare the change invalid and make clear that “further commemoration” consists of any identify change. Each resolutions may show tough within the carefully divided Congress. Quickly a decide could be part of Romeo in lamenting, “O train me the right way to overlook to assume!”

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In any authorized problem, the benefit possible lies with the challengers if they will meet the standing necessities. In any other case, the identify may stay by default… or till one other administration decides to make one other change to the middle previously generally known as the Kennedy Heart.

In fact, Juliet may clear up the naming drawback in an identical means in the present day with a hyphenated marital identify, Juliet Capulet-Montague, though this might clearly have gone over simply as poorly because the Trump-Kennedy identify. It clearly does not scent that candy to many.

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I anticipate that each the courtroom and Congress will comply with swimsuit. With out a fast decision from Congress (which appears unlikely), this might lead to years of litigation.

Each side, nonetheless, can be clever to heed Shakespeare’s warning in one other play that, “the place two raging fires meet, they eat that which feeds their fury.”

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