Trump Officials Cite a Century-Old Report As Congressional Approval for 250-Foot DC Arch, in a Move Called ‘Tortured’ and ‘Laughable’
Trump administration officials argue that President Donald Trump does not need new Congressional approval to build a proposed 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle in Washington, DC, because a 1924 federal commission report for the Arlington Memorial Bridge envisioned two 166-foot columns there. Justice Department lawyers wrote in a filing last month that Congress effectively authorized the project when it approved that report, even though the original columns were never built and Trump’s design reaches 250 feet with added pedestals and statuary. Public Citizen lawyer Wendy Liu called the claim “absurd,” noting the historical authorization included a 10-year construction and funding schedule, and California Representative Jared Huffman described the argument as “tortured” and “laughable” while pushing for oversight hearings and supporting legal challenges. Trump introduced the arch project last October and called it his top domestic policy priority in December; veterans and other opponents have sued, arguing it would harm the setting near Arlington National Cemetery, and the Commission of Fine Arts has advanced approvals for the design.
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This story was covered in Monuments, Money, and Museums on the Brink