Bennet, Hickenlooper, Schiff, Colleagues Launch Inquiry into Trump’s Effort to Redirect Taxpayer Dollars from National Parks for Vanity Projects

 Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls, and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here . M About About Michael Legislation News Press Releases Social Media Newsletter Archive Services Priorities Top Issues Child Tax Credit Investing in Colorado Contact Map Español Acerca de Michael Escribe a Michael Prioridades Servicios Visitando D.C. Bennet, Hickenlooper, Schiff, Colleagues Launch Inquiry into Trump’s Effort to Redirect Taxpayer Dollars from National Parks for Vanity Projects Denver — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, joined Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and eight Senate colleagues in launching an inquiry into the Trump Administration redirecting tens of millions of dollars from fees paid to the National Park Service (NPS) to fund a number of President Donald Trump’s vanity projects in Washington.  “The […] Jun 16, 2026 | Press Releases Denver — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, joined Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and eight Senate colleagues in launching an inquiry into the Trump Administration redirecting tens of millions of dollars from fees paid to the National Park Service (NPS) to fund a number of President Donald Trump’s vanity projects in Washington. “The American people deserve transparency and a complete explanation of where their money is being directed,” wrote the senators. “Rather than distribute these fee revenues back to our national parks and public lands, it appears that the Department of the Interior has redirected fee revenues to pay for President Trump’s vanity projects around Washington, D.C.” Visitors to our national parks contribute millions of dollars to NPS by purchasing recreation passes and digital versions of the America the Beautiful Pass. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act , at least 80% of those fees must be used at the national park where the fees were collected to upkeep or maintain the parks and 20% is required to be available to the agency that collected it on an agency-wide basis. Rather than distribute that revenue back to our national parks and public lands, the Department of the Interior has reportedly redirected the funding to pay for President Trump’s vanity projects around Washington. According to reports, NPS is spending $60 million in fees paid by national park visitors to repair nine ornamental fountains. Another $7 million in fees has been redirected for Trump’s renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which the president had previously promised would only cost $1.8 million. Bennet has a strong record of defending the integrity of the NPS and public lands. In February 2026, Bennet joined U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in sending a letter calling on Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum to consider the effect that establishing the U.S. Wildland Fire service would have on the NPS’s efforts to protect cultural and natural resources. In January 2026, Bennet expressed concern over the Trump Administration’s so-called “modernization” plans for national park access, including several alarming partisan, polarizing initiatives that undermine the spirit of ensuring our public lands are accessible to all. In November 2025, Bennet sent a letter to Secretary Burgum demanding DOI grant backpay to NPS seasonal employees who were furloughed during the recent government shutdown. In February 2024, Bennet, Hickenlooper and Neguse welcomed the establishment of Colorado’s Camp Amache as America’s newest unit of the NPS. In addition to Bennet, Hickenlooper, and Schiff, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Jeffrey Merkley (D-Ore.) signed the letter. The text of the letter is available HERE and below. Dear Secretary Burgum: We write to inquire about the Trump administration’s allocation of fee revenues paid by Americans for national park recreation passes and America the Beautiful digital passes to support beautification projects in Washington D.C. Visitors to our national parks contribute millions of dollars to the National Park Service’s (NPS) budget by purchasing recreation passes and digital versions of the America the Beautiful Pass. The American people deserve transparency and a complete explanation of where their money is being directed. The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) grants public land management agencies the ability to collect and charge fees for accessing federal recreational lands. FLREA requires that, under normal circumstances, at least 80 percent of the recreation fees paid onsite by taxpayers must be r