Senator Sanders Proposes Ban on Naming Federal Property After Sitting Presidents

GSA manages 8,397 federal buildings totaling 363 million square feet — the pool of property these bills would govern

At least 3 major federal properties — including the Kennedy Center and U.S. Institute of Peace — have been renamed after the sitting president since January 2025

Congress passed 1,094 of 2,301 federal building-naming bills introduced between 1973 and 2017 — a 47.5% enactment rate

Naming a major federal property after a sitting president is historically rare — but the White House points to 2 20th-century precedents

Federal statute (20 U.S.C. § 76i) designates the building "the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" by name — generating active litigation over whether the executive branch can rename it unilaterally