Federal panel approves Trump's 250-foot arch; judge could block construction

The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 on Thursday night to give final approval to President Trump's proposed 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle, the traffic island on the bridge between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The vote came after nearly nine hours of virtual public testimony, a protest at the site and pending lawsuits. The administration has said excavation could begin the same day even though Congress has not authorized the project.

The commission began at 1 p.m. and heard from 131 signed-up speakers, including veterans and their relatives, Democratic lawmakers, historic preservation experts and residents. A livestream crash added about an hour to the meeting. Critics said the arch would block an important view, insult service members buried at Arlington, add risk to complicated D.C. airspace, and raise unanswered questions about legality and cost.

Only a few speakers backed the project, among them Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Brian Mast of Florida, both veterans. Trump-aligned commissioners dismissed concerns about D.C. height limits and federal environmental and historic preservation laws. They said Congress authorized the project when it approved a pair of 166-foot columns at Memorial Circle in 1925 that were never built.

They also pointed to claims by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the monument would enhance national security. But officials at the meeting confirmed the final submission contained no such analysis. Interior Department official Greg Wischer said some national security functions were filed under seal in court, while the National Park Service had not been given access to any national defense preparations.

Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian sued earlier this year, arguing an arch is unlawful without congressional approval. The Democratic governments of D.C. and Virginia filed a similar lawsuit last weekend. Judge Tanya Chutkan consolidated the cases and asked the government to notify the court within an hour of commission approval. The administration did so within half an hour, and Chutkan could issue a preliminary injunction to block construction.

At Memorial Circle, white paint lines had already been marked on the grass. Government lawyers told the court in a midday filing that the designated construction firm painted them on Saturday, seemingly without National Park Service authorization.

During deliberations, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson said the commission could not approve final plans without final plans. His motion to postpone until those plans arrived or the December meeting failed 4-8. Vice Chair Stuart Levenbach, a Trump appointee, said the project proponent faced a time constraint and wanted a decision that day.

Historic preservation groups condemned the outcome. Brent Leggs of the National Trust for Historic Preservation called the vote a 'sham' and said it weakened democratic process, violated federal law and disrespected veterans. Jimi Shaughnessy of the National Parks Conservation Association said the group would take the fight to Congress to ensure the arch is never built.

Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, which represents the veterans in their lawsuit, told NPR that Congress need not act because it never actively approved the arch; the courts will decide, he said, though additional congressional measures would be fine. Rep. Don Beyer has introduced a bill to prohibit and defund the arch and expects co-sponsors to grow from 80 to at least 200. Rep. Jared Huffman, the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, warned officials and firms involved in the project that they face legal risk.

Source: NPR News.