The US Commission of Fine Arts, a federal panel whose current members were appointed by 
Donald Trump, voted on Thursday to approve designs for the president's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington. The vote advances the project, dubbed the "Arc de Trump," to a separate review next month by the National Capital Planning Commission, the Guardian reported. The commission that voted on the design is composed entirely of Trump's appointed allies, PBS NewsHour reported.
Panel chair Rodney Mims Cook Jr. described the project as "beautiful" and told the commission, "Washington is not a static city. It must grow to allow the next 250 years of Americans to celebrate their accomplishments," per New York Times reporting. Asked about the vote in the Oval Office, Trump said: "That's good news. We're building what's called the 'triumphal arch' right opposite the Arlington Memorial Bridge, right by the Arlington cemetery. It's beautiful. We just got approval from Fine Arts."
The administration has described the arch as positioned to serve as "a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices" of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery and has said it will be "one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington DC, but throughout the world." A group of military veterans and historic preservationists sued earlier this year to stop construction, arguing that the project lacks congressional approval and would obstruct sight lines at Arlington. The administration has argued in legal filings that it has standalone authority to build the arch, per New York Times reporting cited in the Guardian.
A White House official told the Guardian in April that the arch's estimated cost was "still being calculated" and would be released in the near future, with funding expected through "some combination of public and private" sources. The same panel that approved the arch on Thursday earlier this year signed off on the design for Trump's gilded White House ballroom, one of several high-profile Trump construction projects underway in Washington.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
