Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked his bill to prevent the Trump Administration from using any federal funds for the planning and construction of the Trump Arch:
“Trump’s Arch is a monument to his own ego—a waste of our taxpayer dollars.
“This vanity project distorts our history while destroying historic views, disregards the Constitution’s separation of powers, disrupts the safety of planes in the sky and cars on the road in our nation’s capital, and disrespects the sacrifices of our veterans and their families.
“The Trump Arch is a monumentally bad idea, and it is abundantly clear there is no authorization from Congress for this massive arch. I’ll keep fighting back against Trump’s efforts to use our tax dollars to fund his arch and to instead invest in the four foundations that families need to thrive—health care, housing, education, and good-paying jobs.”
As the lead Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing funding for the Interior Department and National Park Service, the agencies that manage many of our public lands in Washington, D.C., Merkley took to the Senate Floor in an attempt to pass the No Funds for Trump’s Illegal Arch Act, which would have blocked the Trump Arch.
Full text of the bill can be found by clicking here.
In addition to Merkley, the No Funds for Trump’s Illegal Arch Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
Throughout Trump’s second term, Merkley has led the charge to hold the Administration accountable for its vanity projects and corruption—including putting Trump’s face on gold coins, park passes, a $250 bill, and the U.S. passport.
###
English 
Spanish