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SR104
SENATE RESOLUTION No. 104
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JUNE 1, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
���� Condemns renaming John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
A Senate Resolution
condemning
the renaming of the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to
the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Whereas,
In 1955, Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed into law the �National
Cultural Center Act,� which authorized the construction of the National Cultural
Center in Washington, DC with funds raised by voluntary contributions; and
Whereas,
President John F. Kennedy was a lifelong supporter and advocate of the arts and
he helped raise substantial funding for the facility; and
Whereas,
Two months after President Kennedy�s assassination, Congress passed and
President Johnson signed into law legislation changing the facility�s name from
the National Cultural Center to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts; and
Whereas,
The legislation stated that the facility would serve as a living memorial to
the former president; and
Whereas,
The Kennedy Center is charged with presenting classical and contemporary
performances from the United States and other countries and serves as both a
tribute to the former president and a testament to America�s commitment to the
arts; and
Whereas,
After President Trump entered office, he fired members of the Kennedy Center
board, handpicked new board members, and became chair of the new board; and
Whereas,
In December 2025, the board of the Kennedy Center voted to change the name of
the center to the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts; and
Whereas,
Shortly after the vote, workers added new lettering to the facility with the
new name; and
Whereas,
Renaming the facility raises legal questions because Congress established the
name of the facility in statute and designated it as a living monument to
President Kennedy and did not approve legislation to change the name; and
Whereas,
Renaming the memorial dedicated to an assassinated president was a gross
overstep by the board and a disgrace to the nation and the changes should be
reversed immediately; now, therefore,
����
Be It
Resolved
by the Senate of the State of New
Jersey:
���� 1.� This House condemns the
renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the Donald J.
Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and urges for an
immediate reversal of the name change.
���� 2.� Copies of this resolution,
as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of
the Senate to the President and Vice-President of the United States, the Majority
and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority
Leader of the United States House of Representatives, every member of Congress
elected from this State, and to the Kennedy Center board.
STATEMENT
���� This Senate resolution
condemns the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to
the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and
urges for an immediate reversal of the name change.
���� In
1955, Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed into law the �National
Cultural Center Act,� which authorized the construction of the National
Cultural Center in Washington, DC with funds raised by voluntary
contributions.� President John F. Kennedy was a lifelong supporter and advocate
of the arts and he helped raise substantial funding for the facility.� Two
months after President Kennedy�s assassination, Congress passed and President
Johnson signed into law legislation changing the facility�s name from the
National Cultural Center to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
and stating that the facility would serve as a living memorial to the former president.
����
After President Trump entered
office, he fired members of the Kennedy Center board, handpicked new board
members, and became chair of the new board.� In December 2025, the board of the
Kennedy Center voted to change the name of the center to the Donald J. Trump
and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.� Shortly after the vote,
workers added new lettering to the facility with the new name.
����
Renaming the facility raises
legal questions because Congress established the name of the facility in
statute and designated it as a living monument to President Kennedy and did not
approve legislation to change the name.