Young Oak Kim: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3504, as amended, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Authorization Act of 1998…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3504, as amended, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Authorization Act of 1998, authorizes appropriations for operations, maintenance, security, and capital improvements and repair of the facility through the year 2003. In addition, the bill provides further criteria for defining capital repair and operation and maintenance. The bill provides authorization of $59 million for operations, maintenance, security; and $87 million for capital improvements. Initially the bill provided for an 11-year authorization. However, it was amended in committee to limit the authorization of appropriations to a 5-year period, and further to eliminate the requirement for the General Accounting Office to conduct periodic audits of the financial operations of the Center. Why? Because the Center performs annual audits which fulfill entirely the original statutory mandates anyway. Mr. Speaker, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a national Presidential monument and a living memorial. H.R. 3504 ensures that the Center remains a living memorial to the late President.”