Huffman, King Lead Amicus Brief Opposing Trump's Illegal Monument Scheme

Washington, D.C. – Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), and Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), along with Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), filed an amicus brief in federal court opposing President Trump's plan to erect a 250-foot "Independence Arch" on federal parkland in Washington, D.C., arguing the project blatantly violates laws requiring congressional authorization for new monuments.

The case concerns whether President Trump can bypass federal law requiring congressional approval for monuments on federal land in Washington, D.C. The Commemorative Works Act and 40 U.S.C. § 8106 both require express authorization from Congress before any monument or structure is built on federal reservations, parks, or public grounds in the nation's capital. The Independence Arch, slated for Memorial Circle in Lady Bird Johnson Park, has received no such authorization.

“Americans are having to choose between gas and groceries, and the President's priority is spending millions of dollars on another vanity project — the 'Arc de Trump,'” said Ranking Member Huffman. “For over two hundred years, Congress has held authority over what monuments rise in our nation's capital. The Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial; every one followed the law and went through Congress. And now, without any legal authority whatsoever, he wants to build himself the largest arch in the world — bigger than the Arc de Triomphe, taller than the Statue of Liberty — on land owned by the American people. Who does he think he is? He's not a pharaoh. He's a public servant, and he ought to answer to the law like everyone else. We didn't let monarchs build monuments to themselves in 1776, and we're not letting some wannabe king start now.”

“Our national parks and public lands are not a canvas for a president’s offensive vanity projects. Attempting to bypass Congress to erect a massive Arch de Trump on federal land is not just absurd, it is a slap in the face to millions of working families who are struggling to get by,” said Rep. Dexter, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. "Americans deserve a president who focuses on them — not himself.”

“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,” said Senator King. “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.”

“The Trump Administration has once again put its own interests before following the law and working with Congress and the American people, including the veterans bringing suit in this case,” said Senator Merkley. “I will continue to push for oversight of the President’s overreach on this project and to explore all options to protect our federal lands, in both D.C. and across the nation.”

Read the lawmakers’ amicus brief here.

Background

The Independence Arch would be located in Memorial Circle within Lady Bird Johnson Park, which falls under Area I of the Commemorative Works Act, requiring additional congressional approval for any new commemorative works due to concerns about overcrowding the monumental core of the capital.

Since the CWA's enactment in 1986, Congress has authorized more than 40 commemorative works through the statutory process. The law establishes consultation requirements with expert commissions and multiple layers of review to ensure new monuments reflect lasting national significance and preserve the integrity of the historic L'Enfant and McMillan plans for the city.

This latest effort by President Trump joins his other attempts to remake the nation's capital in his image. In October 2025, Trump demolished the historic East Wing of the White House to make way for a 90,000-square-foot gilded ballroom, proceeding without approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. That project, now estimated to cost $400 million, prompted a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Natural Resources Democrats have previously called for complete transparency regarding his efforts, to no response from the relevant agencies.

Trump has also paved over the Rose Garden to install a Mar-a-Lago-style stone patio, gilded the Oval Office with gold medallions and Rococo mirrors, and slapped his name on the Kennedy Center without congressional authorization — the first time a national institution has been named after a sitting president.

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