Beyer Statement On Donald Trump’s Vanity Arch

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents a Northern Virginia district in the U.S. House that includes Arlington National Cemetery, issued the following statement after Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced that the Trump Administration would "start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary" for President Trump's illegal, gridlock-increasing, narcissistic arch project that the National Park Service admits would disrupt Arlington National Cemetery:

"Burgum and the Trump Administration are disregarding the risks and rushing this towering monument to Trump's vanity because they believe Republicans will get crushed in November. They believe, I hope correctly, that the project will be endangered by a new Democratic majority that actually stands up to Trump.

"This project is not even close to being ready for prime time. The Administration has not won the legal battle over the proposal, which is plainly illegal without congressional authorization. They have not responded to or addressed my warnings about how construction would significantly increase traffic problems across the region. They have not addressed Arlington County's red flags about impacts on transportation infrastructure - including the ability of emergency responders to move to and through the major roadways around the site - and about environmental impacts. They have not completed and released a full aeronautical study to evaluate flight risks to air traffic at DCA, which are especially important following the National Transportation Safety Board's finding that White House construction may have contributed to a recent, concerning incident involving Marine One. The only study they have completed and released, from the National Park Service, confirms my admonition that the arch would be a massive, unnecessary disruption to iconic and historic sites across the region.

"Donald Trump boasted aloud that his sole intent for building this arch is to honor himself. Even Doug Burgum, in his heart, knows that this is immoral and disrespectful to America's fallen heroes. All of us who oppose it must stand up and redouble our efforts to stop this monstrosity."

Rep. Don Beyer is leading congressional efforts to block construction of Trump's arch. His Northern Virginia district includes the Arlington National Cemetery, where his parents, grandparents, and sister are buried. He is the author of the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act, which would explicitly prohibit construction of the arch. He previously raised concerns about the projects impacts on traffic in the region, which the Trump Administration has yet to address. The arch has been a consistent source of anger and concern to Beyer's constituents, who like much of the country, vociferously oppose the project.

The National Park Service's "Assessment of Effect" on President Trump's proposed 250-foot "triumphal arch" found that the arch would "adversely affect" dozens of nearby historic sites and monuments, including Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the National Cathedral, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and many others. The proposal currently faces legal challenges, which allege that it violates the National Historic Preservation Act.