Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member on the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee, is voicing skepticism and concern over Republicans' budget reconciliation proposal for the Kennedy Center-which is nearly six times more than the annual funding appropriated through the Subcommittee.

"It's hard to ignore the red flags here. While the Trump Administration is gunning to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities entirely, cancelling arts grants already allocated, and censoring exhibits at the Smithsonian, Republicans are quietly pushing through an exorbitant $256 million allocation for the Kennedy Center-six times what Congress typically appropriates," said Pingree. "While I appreciate President Trump's interest in the Center's future and the dire need for funding, we must ensure that funds appropriated by Congress are truly benefitting the artists and audiences that make the Kennedy Center great. We need transparency on how this money would be spent and assurance it's not being used to reward loyalty or bankroll pet projects under the guise of cultural investment."

On Tuesday, Pingree sent a letter to Richard Grenell, a Trump ally who was installed as President of the Kennedy Center in February, demanding answers and transparency. The full letter is available here and copied below.

Pingree, who is co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus, has been vocal about her strong opposition to President Trump's attacks on the arts. In a statement on Saturday, she said the Administration's decision to abruptly cancel NEA grants is an outrageous attack on our nation's cultural heritage and a reckless decision that will hurt local economies across the country.

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