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A federal panel packed with administration allies has given final approval to President Trump's proposed arch, after hearing nearly eight hours of impassioned pleas from veterans, lawmakers, residents and concerned citizens opposed to the structure.The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 to greenlight the arch, which would stand 250 feet tall on Memorial Circle, a traffic island on the bridge linking the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery.The Trump administration has said it could begin excavation work that same day, despite lacking authorization from Congress and an ongoing legal challenge.A group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian sued the government earlier this year, arguing that an arch is unlawful without Congressional approval, which the administration has not sought.
The Democratic governments of D.C.and Virginia jointly filed a similar lawsuit last weekend.D.C.
District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan consolidated the lawsuits and asked the government to notify the court within an hour of commission approval.That suggests she could issue an 11th-hour preliminary injunction to block construction, as plaintiffs have requested.The day started with a protest on Memorial Circle, where dozens of people spoke against the arch.
The grass underfoot was already marked with white paint.Lawyers for the government told the court in a midday filing that the lines were painted on Saturday by its designated construction firm, seemingly without authorization from the National Park Service.The commission meeting began at 1 p.m.
It was held virtually because of the high volume of public testimony: 131 people were signed up to speak.Just minutes into public testimony, the livestream crashed, lengthening the meeting by about an hour until it was restored.Over the course of nearly nine hours, commissioners heard from dozens of veterans and their relatives, Democratic lawmakers, historic preservation experts and concerned citizens from D...