Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.

WASHINGTON — Pressure is mounting for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to return $25 million it received from the massive federal coronavirus bailout package signed into law last week after its president was heard on leaked audio telling staffers their jobs would still be lost.

And one lawmaker has even introduced a bill to have the funds rescinded.

The audio, recorded during an internal conference call with staff, revealed how executives at the Washington, DC arts icon lobbied lawmakers for the massive handout from the $2 trillion national aid package — but then furloughed more than 700 staffers.

Wisconsin GOP Rep. Bryan Steil introduced a bill to rescind the $25 million in funding, saying the $2 trillion aid bill, known as the CARES Act, had been hijacked for political purposes.

“The Kennedy Center should not have been allowed to jump the line,” Rep. Steil told The Post.

“They should not have had a sweetheart deal to allow them to get $25 million and jump the line in front of everybody else. That was wrong,” he added.

The Wisconsin lawmaker, 39, said it was “appalling” that the arts center was furloughing hundreds of staff after receiving the large payday when businesses around the country were also struggling and health care workers are without equipment.

“I talked to people at home here in Janesville, I talked to a doctor who couldn’t get a medical mask, who couldn’t get PPE, then at the same time we see a sweetheart deal for a well-connected theater in Washington, DC,” he said.

“When you see huge pieces of legislation and large amounts of spending move quickly, there’s always a risk that people will try to utilize that to obtain benefits for their pet projects. We saw that with the Kennedy Center,” he said.

Republicans initially earmarked $1 million for the Kennedy Center, but Democrats boosted that figure to $25 million.

The hand-out for the cultural institution was already labeled by many conservatives as inappropriate, even though President Trump said he had no problem with it.

But that anger boiled over on Tuesday when it emerged the center never intended to save employees’ jobs with the money.

“It’s not like we can spend all the money right now to keep everybody whole and find ourselves without cash,” KCPA President Deborah Rutter told staff in a leaked internal call, claiming “most people” didn’t understand.

Ohio GOP Congressman Bill Johnson said the center was a “performing arts treasure” but believed it was inappropriate for it to receive federal funding at this time.

“I felt that way initially, and even more strongly now knowing that workers there are being furloughed despite securing $25 million from Congress,” Johnson told The Post, saying the money could be better spent on funding rural hospitals and Americans who have found themselves out of work because of the crisis.

“In my view, the Kennedy Center should do the right thing and return the money to the U.S. Treasury. If it needs to raise money, they should hold a fundraiser with donors and other interested individuals. But it shouldn’t be a national priority right now when the American people need so much help” he said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the center said $20 million of the grant had been earmarked for staff compensation and benefits.

“Again, all of these choices are difficult, though absolutely necessary for us to re-employ staff and musicians when we can resume our programming and bring audiences back to the Center in the months to come,” the statement read.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R.LA), a co-sponsor of the bill, told The Post he supported revoking the Kennedy Center funding and lashed Democrats for stuffing unrelated measures in the large spending package.

“It shows you what their true priorities are. It’s really disgusting that while everyone was pulling together to try to help small businesses and families when the entire economy was cratering, Speaker Pelosi’s wanted mandated same day voter registration and funding for the Kennedy Center,” he said.