Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) is demanding that President Trump immediately stop his appalling demolition of the White House’s East Wing, warning that his unapproved “ballroom project” tramples historic preservation and defies legally-required federal oversight and interagency coordination. 

As the top Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing the National Park Service, Pingree condemned the President’s brazen destruction of the White House, a National Historic Landmark and a National Park Site. 

“Your actions are irreparably destroying a historic portion of one of America’s most recognizable landmarks and a symbol of our democracy,” Pingree said. 

“Your disregard for the oversight and transparency requirements that protect our nation’s most revered sites is shocking. Despite previous assurances that no changes would be made to the existing structure, the project’s scope is clearly well beyond what was initially publicly proposed,” she continued. “And, according to reports, the White House has not yet even submitted plans for the project to initiate the review process.”

“Such a cavalier undertaking all but guarantees that future Presidents will afford your contributions the same reverence.”

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Dear Mr. President,

I write to demand that you immediately cease construction activities related to a new ballroom at the White House. You have brazenly begun demolition without the legally required approval of several government agencies. Your actions are irreparably destroying a historic portion of one of America’s most recognizable landmarks and a symbol of our democracy.

The White House is a National Historic Landmark and a National Park Site. Any project of this scale and importance must be approached with careful interagency coordination among the National Park Service, National Capital Planning Commission, and Commission of Fine Arts. 

Your disregard for the oversight and transparency requirements that protect our nation’s most revered sites is shocking. Despite previous assurances that no changes would be made to the existing structure, the project’s scope is clearly well beyond what was initially publicly proposed. And, according to reports, the White House has not yet even submitted plans for the project to initiate the review process.

Furthermore, other than certain essential functions, the agencies with jurisdiction are all closed during the government shutdown and key staff are furloughed. It is appalling that you are pursuing a vanity project during a government shutdown. You are clearly prioritizing an entertainment space over the American people at a time when basic needs like health care and groceries are increasingly unaffordable.

All demolition activities must stop at once, and the site must be secured until the reviews and approvals required by law are complete.

By failing to ensure that historic preservation is appropriately considered, you are endangering a priceless historical American landmark. Such a cavalier undertaking all but guarantees that future Presidents will afford your contributions the same reverence.  

Sincerely,

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