Reed Opposes Trump’s Arch That Would Diminish American Heroes and Block Views of Arlington National Cemetery

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a West Point graduate who served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, joined veterans and taxpayers from around the country in opposing President Trump’s proposed 250-foot “ Triumphal Arch ” that would obstruct and overshadow the views between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial and disrespect those buried in the hallowed grounds of our nation's preeminent military cemetery. To offer perspective of scale, the arch would be the equivalent of a 25-story skyscraper in height and more than double the height of the nearby Lincoln Memorial. It’s proposed golden statues would tower over everything nearby and could degrade and pervert the personal experience of visitors to Arlington National Cemetery and the nearby monuments. With the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) now accepting public input on the arch project to review “potential adverse effects on historic properties, including archeological resources, within the project area,” according to the NPS website, Senator Reed sent a letter of formal opposition to the proposed construction, stating: “Construction of the proposed Arch without congressional approval would be a violation of federal law, a waste of taxpayer money, and an insult to memory of the men and women of the U.S. military whose final resting place is Arlington National Cemetery.” Senator Reed is encouraging members of the public to submit their own comments about the Arch to the National Park Service before the brief window for comments closes on June 15. “This project is driven not by popular demand or congressional action, but by President Trump’s apparent fetish for replicating European landmarks during his term,” Reed’s letter continued. “Indeed, the Arch has not received congressional approval as required under law. Passed in 1986, the Commemorative Works Act (CWA) requires congressional authorization for the construction of new “commemorative works” in areas administered by the National Park Service “in the District of Columbia and its environs.” Under the CWA, a “commemorative work” is “any statue, monument, sculpture, memorial, plaque, inscription, or other structure or landscape feature, including a garden or memorial grove, designed to perpetuate in a permanent manner the memory of an individual, group, event or other significant element of American history…” To date, Congress has not approved construction of the proposed arch.” Instead of honoring America's fallen service members and the families of the more than 400,000 Americans who are buried in Arlington National Cemetery, President Trump is trying to force the rushed construction of a massive but thinly disguised monument to himself. In fact, when President Trump first unveiled the model of the arch last fall, he was asked directly by CBS News' Ed O'Keefe who the arch is for, and Mr. Trump pointed at himself and replied: "Me." In another clear sign that the Arch is all about Trump, newly released planning documents from NPS reveal that the Trump Administration wants construction taking place 20 hours per day in order to complete the arch before the end of President Trump’s term. The construction phase “would require several tower cranes, forklifts, skid steers, drill rigs, and concrete pumping systems,” according to NPS documents filed to the federal register. “Work would occur year-round, with work occurring in two 10-hour shifts per day (20 hours per day, year-round) for the duration of the construction period.” “This vanity arch is an affront to taxpayers, veterans, and good government. It’s clear President Trump is doing everything he can to circumvent Congress, the law, and the will of the American people to try to build a massive monument to his own immeasurable ego. It would be offensive to the memories of those who fought and died for our country to block out the views of their simple, modest white gravestones with a gaudy 250-foot plus monument to someone who actively avoided military service as a young man and then as president sent others off to war with no clear strategy and no authorization from Congress,” said Senator Reed. When it comes to financing the Arch, the total cost has yet to be revealed. Senator Reed’s letter notes: “Congress has not provided any funds for this project. Instead, the Trump Administration has indicated that it plans to divert $15 million from the National Endowment from the Humanities (NEH) to build the Arch. That will deprive millions of dollars for initiatives that would support museums, historic sites, colleges, K-12 classrooms, and more. This usurped $15 million will not cover the needs of the entire project, and the Administration will likely continue to siphon funding from important programs for this project.” Full text of the letter follows: Ms. Jessica Bowron, Comptroller Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Director National Park Service 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Ms. Bowron: I write to express my strong opposition to the proposed construction of the 250-foot “Triumphal Arch” in Memorial Circle, within the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Washington, D.C. Construction of the proposed Arch without congressional approval would be a violation of federal law, a waste of taxpayer money, and an insult to memory of the men and women of the U.S. military whose final resting place is Arlington National Cemetery. This project is driven not by popular demand or congressional action, but by President Trump’s apparent fetish for replicating European landmarks during his term. Indeed, the Arch has not received congressional approval as required under law. Passed in 1986, the Commemorative Works Act (CWA) requires congressional authorization for the construction of new “commemorative works” in areas administered by the National Park Service “in the District of Columbia and its environs.” Under the CWA, a “commemorative work” is “any statue, monument, sculpture, memorial, plaque, inscription, or other structure or landscape feature, including a garden or memorial grove, designed to perpetuate in a permanent manner the memory of an individual, group, event or other significant element of American history…” To date, Congress has not approved construction of the proposed arch. At a time when our brave troops are at war, the idea of tampering with the area immediately abutting Arlington National Cemetery is an afront to those interred there, their families, and every service member. At over twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial, the Arch will disrupt the historic view of the hallowed ground at Arlington National Cemetery, obscuring headstones of American veterans and war dead. As the National Trust for Historic Preservation has noted, the proposed location of the Arch “is inconsistent with the solemn historic character of Arlington National Cemetery,” the resting place for over 400,000 veterans and their families. It is their service and sacrifice that should remain the focal point of this memorial landscape. The Arch also would block the symbolic vista between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Indeed, the National Park Service’s June 2026 assessment of the Arch found: “The proposed undertaking may result in a direct adverse effect to the Lincoln Memorial as it would change the interrelationships of the existing monumental landscape, which forms an intentional balance between natural and built features, axial and picturesque landscape elements.” Lastly, Congress has not provided any funds for this project. Instead, the Trump Administration has indicated that it plans to divert $15 million from the National Endowment from the Humanities (NEH) to build the Arch. That will deprive millions of dollars for initiatives that would support museums, historic sites, colleges, K-12 classrooms, and more. This usurped $15 million will not cover the needs of the entire project, and the Administration will likely continue to siphon funding from important programs for this project. For the above reasons and those outlined by notable historians, architects, preservationists, aviation experts, and veterans, I urge you to reject the proposed “Triumphal Arch” and abandon the construction of this vanity project. Sincerely,