Two Democratic representatives, Don Beyer and John B Larson, will introduce a bill to block the construction of President Trump’s 250ft-tall “Triumphal Arch”, planned on Memorial Circle, a roundabout near the entrance to the Arlington National Cemetery.
They claim the president’s plan is illegal under the Commemorative Works Act which requires Congress to authorise memorials on federal land in or near DC.
The move comes after the US Commission of Fine Arts approved the arch’s design. It’s now set to be reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission next month. The Washington Post claims both panels contain Trump sympathisers.
The project was designed by Atlanta’s Harrison Design. PBS reports that it will have an observation deck on top. An earlier design had four golden lions at the base, which have since been removed.
Trump has rejected claims to reduce the size of the structure. The 250ft scope represents 250 years of American independence.
Its design is inspired by the 162ft-tall Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
CBS reports that a group of Vietnam veterans are suing to stop construction as it disrupts the sightline between the the Robert E. Lee Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial across the Potomac River.
The Arlington National Cemetery is the largest US-owned military graveyard and contains the resting places of 400,000 people, including US president John F. Kennedy.
John B Larson, US representative for Connecticut, said: “Donald Trump will do just about anything with your taxpayer dollars to feed his fragile ego. He is a narcissistic nihilist plain and simple. His newest scheme is a 250-foot arch dedicated to himself, overlooking the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.
“We should be honouring our veterans at Arlington, not building a vanity project to make Donald Trump feel better. He has no legal right to build this gaudy monument to honour himself, but we know he has no regard for our rule of law. It’s why he appointed his cronies to greenlight this project!
“We will continue fighting to stop this insult to our veterans and massive waste of your taxpayer dollars.”
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