James Oberstar: “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a national memorial to a fallen President, one of the most loved…”

“The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a national memorial to a fallen President, one of the most loved, respected, and admired Presidents of our history. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was initially proposed as a national cultural center during the tenure of President Dwight Eisenhower. It moved its way through the legislative process and took firm root and forward progress during the brief tenure of President John F. Kennedy and then sprang forward under President Lyndon Johnson. It has become an extraordinary cultural center for the Nation. Our committee has had the good fortune to hold jurisdiction over the physical facility of the Kennedy Center and of its operations, and we have managed that responsibility very thoroughly and very effectively through the tenure of many previous Chairs of this committee.”