(The Hill) – The Kennedy Center’s famed Opera House could be renamed to honor Melania Trump, if House Republicans have their way.
House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee have approved an amendment to the annual spending bill for the Interior and Environment agencies, proposing to rename the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”
The panel voted 33-25 on Tuesday to approve the amendment, which was part of a series of others.
This effort to honor the first lady follows months after President Trump undertook an unusual step, which drew some criticism, by reshaping the Kennedy Center’s board and appointing himself as its chairman, arguing that the performing arts center was overly “woke.”
Both President Trump and Melania Trump, who diverged from tradition during his first term by opting not to participate in the annual Kennedy Center Honors, were present for the opening night of “Les Misérables” at the Washington arts venue last month.
Neither representatives for the Kennedy Center nor the first lady’s office immediately responded to ITK’s request for comment about the Opera House’s potential name change.
It remains unclear when GOP leaders plan to put the legislation, with the amendment, on the floor for a vote of the full chamber.
With more than 2,300 seats, the Opera House is the second-largest theater at the Kennedy Center.
“Over the years, the Opera House has welcomed dozens of the world’s great dance and opera companies and has hosted some of the most important artistic events of the last quarter century,” according to the Kennedy Center.
—Mychael Schnell contributed.
