In the US, Senator Lee blocks protection of Kennedy Center from demolition — The Hill

In the United States, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah on Monday evening blocked Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley’s attempt to bar President Donald Trump from demolishing the Kennedy Center. As The Hill reports, Merkley sought to pass the bill through unanimous consent, a procedure that would have allowed it to proceed without a Senate vote if no one objected.

Initiative concerning memorials

Merkley’s proposal was also supported by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. According to Merkley, his bill would prohibit the demolition of any national memorial honoring a US president without a separate act of Congress.

Merkley said that Trump’s threats to demolish the arts center, in his view, fit an authoritarian pattern of behavior. He also criticized the idea of spending taxpayers’ money to add Trump’s name to memorials and monuments.

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Legal disputes surrounding the center

According to the outlet, Trump threatened to demolish the Kennedy Center after a court blocked the addition of his name alongside Kennedy’s name on the building’s facade. The Trump administration is also involved in litigation over a challenge to a major reconstruction of the center. It claims that the building is dilapidated and requires a complete renovation.

Shortly before that, Lee also objected to another proposal by Merkley that would have prevented Trump from building a large marble arch between Arlington Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. Democratic Congressman Don Beyer said last week that Trump is likely laying the groundwork for the construction of the arch, despite a court requirement to provide advance notice of the start of work.