Bills
| 3.23.22

Re-Funding the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts With $190 Million (H.R. 1473)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 1473?

(Updated March 15, 2018)

This bill would authorize $190 million from 2016 to 2020 for the maintenance, repair, and security of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — plus capital projects for the center. The total amount of appropriations would rise from $37 million in the 2016 fiscal year to $40 million in the 2020 fiscal year.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is the busiest performing arts facility in the U.S. and annually hosts 2,000 performances that are attended by a total of nearly two million people. It was opened to the public in 1971.

Argument in favor

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has been a hub of cultural activity since it was commissioned during the Eisenhower administration. As Kennedy would say, it furthers "our contribution to the human spirit."

Argument opposed

The federal government should get the John F. Kennedy Center off its books. Why should every taxpayer across the country have to pay for a performing arts venue that some have never been to?

Impact

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and people who attend events there.

Cost of H.R. 1473

The CBO analyzed this legislation and found that while $190 million would be appropriated, implementing the projects funded by this bill would cost about $170 million from 2016-2020, which averages about $34 million per year in actual spending.

Additional Info

In-Depth:  

Appropriations set aside for maintenance, repair, and security would rise from $22 million to $26 million over that period. Capital projects appropriations would start at $15 million, drop to $13 million for two years, then rise to $14 million for the final two years of the 2016-2020 period.


Of Note: The Kennedy Center itself acknowledges that it sits at a unique intersection of private and public interests: 

"As the nation's living memorial to President Kennedy, the Center receives federal funding each year to pay for maintenance and operation of the building, a federal facility. However, the Center's artistic programs and education initiatives are paid for almost entirely through ticket sales and gifts from individuals, corporations, and private foundations."

Media:


Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Flickr user Matthew Straubmuller)