“No board vote nor social media post has the legal authority to change the name without an act of #Congress,” the members wrote.

“We’ll be working to block this disgraceful renaming effort at every possible opportunity & restore the Kennedy Center’s rightful place as our nation’s #cultural center without the burden of #vanity projects or #political influence,” they wrote.

#KennedyCenter #Trump #law #history #landmark #preservation #memorial #JFK #SevenMountainMandate

Last week, Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-Maryland) introduced legislation to remove Trump’s name.

Rep. Chellie Pingree (Maine), the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the #KennedyCenter, along with >70 lawmakers in #Congress, called for #Trump to reverse the renaming effort & remove his name from the building immediately [as if he’d ever].

#law #history #landmark #preservation #memorial #JFK #SevenMountainMandate

Beatty’s lawsuit…claimed the vote exceeded its statutory authority & requested that a judge declare it to be void.

“Because #Congress named the center by statute, changing the Kennedy Center’s name requires an act of Congress,” the lawsuit says, adding that “Congress intended the Center to be a living #memorial to President #Kennedy — & a crown jewel of the #arts for all Americans, irrespective of party.”

#KennedyCenter #Trump #law #history #landmark #preservation #JFK #SevenMountainMandate

During a rally outside the #KennedyCenter on Dec. 20, Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) said he and his colleagues would work to “reverse” the move when #Congress returns to session in January. “The day we get back, we can put an amendment on the … Interior appropriations bill to reverse this outrage,” he told the crowd.

#Trump #law #history #landmark #preservation #memorial #JFK #SevenMountainMandate

The vote by the #KennedyCenter board to add #Trump’s name to the institution marked the most overt effort to date by the president & his allies to remold the storied #PerformingArts center in his image.

In the days since his name was added to the building, several lawmakers have vowed to fight the change.

#SevenMountainMandate #law #history #landmark #preservation #memorial #JFK

…Sen. #SheldonWhitehouse (D-Rhode Island) told The Post that he became an ex officio member this year after he became the lead #Democrat on the #Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works — another ex officio seat designated by #Congress — but was not ever invited to board meetings until his committee began investigating the #KennedyCenter last month.

#Trump #law #history #landmark #preservation #memorial #JFK #SevenMountainMandate

The center’s original bylaws didn’t distinguish voting powers, either. But its most recent tax filings list 59 “voting members” of its governing body — a total that includes both general & ex officio members.

[The #KennedyCenter currently lists 34 presidentially appointed board members, including #Trump himself as chair, & 23 ex officio seats. The center’s president, Richard Grenell, is also an officer of the board.]

#law #history #landmark #preservation #memorial #JFK #SevenMountainMandate

The #law identifies them as part of the board of trustees, which it directs to maintain & administer the facility as a living #memorial. But it does NOT distinguish between voting & nonvoting members, which has been a point of ambiguity in the days following the vote to rename the #KennedyCenter.

At least one ex officio member, Rep Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), was muted when she attempted to speak out during the Dec 18 vote.

#Trump #history #landmark #preservation #JFK #SevenMountainMandate

And it raised new questions about whether some of were more interested in preserving the #power of the government’s threat against #Harvard as a message to other #universities than in reaching a settlement….

While the interactions between Dr. Garber & McMahon plunged the sensitive talks into deeper turmoil, they also highlighted the unpredictability of the #Trump admin.

#law #FirstAmendment #AcademicFreedom #education #SevenMountainMandate

Whatever the case, it was the latest twist in the long-running dispute between #Harvard & the #Trump admin, which has shaped up to be the marquee battle in the admin’s effort to exert more influence over #colleges & #universities it views as too liberal.

The episode also underscored the emerging role played by people inside the admin who want to extract more concessions from Harvard.

#Trump #law #FirstAmendment #AcademicFreedom #education #SevenMountainMandate