Several leading congressional Democrats overseeing park and public land issues are urging a federal judge to declare President Donald Trump’s plan to build an archway in the Washington area a violation of federal law.
Maine independent Sen. Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) filed a friend of the court brief Friday in litigation pending before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. A coalition of Vietnam veterans has sued the administration over the proposed arch.
“This is a straightforward example of checks and balances, and an exercise of Congressional authority — the Commemorative Works Act could not be clearer: any structure on grounds like this must be approved by Congress on behalf of the American people,” King said in a statement.
“Whether it is an arch, an obelisk, a ballroom, or a statue, this is a decision that cannot be made unilaterally when it is on public lands and protected by statute.”
