AG Jay Jones sues to block Trump's 250th-anniversary arch honoring veterans, calling it a 'vanity project'
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones has joined Washington, D.C.'s Democratic attorney general in suing the Trump administration to block a 250-foot arch honoring the nation's 250th anniversary. Jones calls the monument a presidential "vanity project." The White House says it is a gateway to Arlington National Cemetery for veterans and the families of the fallen.
Jones and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed the case in federal court on Saturday, Oct. 31, and are asking a judge to stop construction in Memorial Circle, near the cemetery, before it begins. In the complaint, they say federal officials planned to start work "as soon as November 5."
Two sides of the same ground
In a release from his office, Jones said that "President Trump's illegal vanity project is an affront to this hallowed ground."
The administration describes the arch as a monument to the same sacrifice. "It will serve as a gateway to Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in an email quoted by the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump told reporters Saturday night that the arch "is very important militarily for Washington, D.C., and our country," and that it does not matter whether the site is in "Virginia, Maryland, or Washington," according to the AP. Administration officials have said the structure will have a national security function. An administration lawyer told the court it is "absolutely a high priority project."
What the lawsuit claims
The two attorneys general argue that Congress has to approve monuments on federal land in the capital and has not approved this one. They cite the Commemorative Works Act and 40 U.S.C. § 8106. They also invoke the Height of Buildings Act's general 130-foot limit and claim violations of federal environmental, historic-preservation and administrative-procedure laws, WDBJ reported. They also say construction would snarl traffic between Virginia and D.C. for three years.
Jones's office framed the case in sharply political terms. Its release refers to "Donald Trump's illegal 'triumphal' arch" and calls the project "an affront to our nation's capital." Both Jones and Schwalb are Democrats, as The Virginia Flyover noted, and the lawsuit puts Virginia's top lawyer in direct opposition to a project the White House presents as a tribute to veterans.
Court fight moves fast
The states were not the first to sue. Three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian had already filed a challenge, and U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has consolidated the two cases, the AP reported. At a hearing Friday, Chutkan asked what the urgency was "apart from the executive's desire to bedazzle the city," but she has not ruled. She said she would act expeditiously.
The administration has said it plans to seek final approval at Thursday's National Capital Planning Commission meeting and could begin work that same day. According to a 106-page plan filed Friday, the arch would stand more than 12 stories and be topped by a winged bronze Lady Liberty holding an eternal flame.
Whether the arch goes up, and on what schedule, now depends on how quickly the federal court acts. Virginians on both sides of the Potomac will be watching Memorial Circle this week.
