A group of lawmakers has raised serious legal concerns over the Trump administration’s plan to construct a 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington without congressional approval.
On Monday, these lawmakers, including Democrats overseeing natural resources and a Senate independent, sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and National Park Service officials. The letter warns of potential fines and even criminal prosecution if the project proceeds unlawfully.
The warning emphasizes that funds appropriated by Congress must only be used for the purposes specified by Congress. Officials utilizing unauthorized funds might face suspension without pay, office removal, and in some cases, criminal fines and imprisonment.
This letter bears the signatures of Senator Angus King from Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats, and Representative Jared Huffman of California, the senior Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, along with others.
The lawmakers argue that moving forward with the arch violates several laws, including the Commemorative Works Act, which regulates monuments on federal land in Washington. Another 1912 law mandates that buildings on federal land in the capital require explicit congressional approval, while the Height of Buildings Act generally restricts structures taller than 160 feet.
Senator King called the project “stone-cold illegal,” asserting this as one of the clearest legal cases he has encountered in over five decades of law practice.
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