New House Majority Targets Trump's D.C. Construction Projects

The Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will attempt to halt President Trump's major construction projects in Washington, D.C., by restricting federal funding. Lawmakers intend to use this fiscal power to stop work on the triumphal arch at Memorial Circle and the golf course renovations at East Potomac Park.

Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, the top Democrat on the committee that funds the Interior Department, stated that Congress holds the ultimate tool in its power of the purse. She and Representative Jared Huffman of California plan to negotiate specific language into the short-term appropriations bill due by December 11. This language would limit federal spending on the East Potomac golf course to repairs of the park's seawall, excluding funds for the renovation projects Trump has authorized.

Huffman, who leads the House Natural Resources Committee, said his committee has a statutory responsibility to authorize or stop changes to federal land. He noted that the administration has proceeded without congressional approval, a move he described as a game of Catch Me If You Can involving bulldozers and tree cutters. Earlier in the week, he sent letters to dozens of administration officials and private companies ordering them to preserve records for future investigations.

Legal experts indicate that blocking funding is the most viable path for the new majority. David Super, a law professor at Georgetown, explained that while legislation is the cleanest method, it is difficult to achieve due to the president's veto threat. He noted that the Constitution requires congressional appropriation for federal spending, and courts have historically upheld Congress's authority over funds. Some projects have already used diverted national park entrance fees, a practice Congress can cap.

The administration has maintained that it does not need congressional authorization for these projects. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in an email that no other president has done more to beautify the nation's interior. He cited the Reflecting Pool and the White House ballroom as examples and urged Democrats to work with the president.

Trump has taken a unilateral approach to these changes, packing regulatory commissions with allies and bypassing Congress. The administration has demolished the East Wing of the White House for a ballroom and downed hundreds of trees at East Potomac Park. Critics accuse the administration of skirting federal laws to complete projects before the end of the president's term.

Democrats also plan to use oversight hearings to hold companies and individuals accountable. Leavitt, a government professor at Smith College, noted that Congress can subpoena information regarding the Kennedy Center's board decisions and the ballroom's funding. She said this process allows the public and history to make judgments on the administration's actions. Pingree added that she will use every tool in the toolbox to address the cost and potential misuse of taxpayer dollars.