The Trump administration is asking Congress for $10 million to pay back the National Park Service for costs from several patriotic events on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., including the Great American State Fair and the July Fourth fireworks display. The request is part of a larger $113 million ask to cover costs from events celebrating America's 250th birthday. NPR

Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on a Senate subcommittee that oversees funding for the Interior Department, shared the $10 million figure in a July 29, 2026, letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Merkley wrote that the Interior Department told his office the money would reimburse the National Park Service for costs including Park Police, event monitoring, overtime pay, and repairs to damaged areas. NPR

The reimbursement would cover three events: a May prayer event, the two-week Great American State Fair, and President Trump's July Fourth speech and fireworks on the Mall. NPR

The $10 million request fits into a bigger picture. A law called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, gave the Interior Department $150 million for 250th anniversary events, with the money directed to the National Park Service. NPR; Congress.gov

Most of that $150 million has gone to Freedom 250, a group created by President Trump to run the anniversary celebrations, rather than to America250, the bipartisan commission Congress originally set up for the anniversary. NPR

Merkley's letter asks Interior for more information about the reimbursement request. He did not say whether he supports or opposes the funding. But by sharing the details, he has put the request in front of the lawmakers who decide whether it moves forward. NPR

The 250th anniversary has also drawn attention from other lawmakers. During a July 13, 2023, hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee, questions referenced anniversary program grants to states. Congress.gov Rep. Dave Joyce, in remarks on a spending bill before the House Appropriations Committee, said the bill includes funding for securing events like the country's 250th anniversary celebration. House Appropriations Committee

The anniversary celebrations have extended beyond Washington. A dinner marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence was held at the Palace of Versailles in early June 2026, attended by Trump. Reuters In August 2025, the White House announced a review of some Smithsonian museums and exhibitions ahead of the anniversary. Reuters

The broader context here is about who controls the money. Congress gave $150 million to the National Park Service for the anniversary, but the administration routed most of it through Freedom 250, a group Trump created on his own, rather than through America250, the commission Congress had already set up for the same purpose. Think of it like this: Congress wrote the check, but the administration decided who cashed it. Now the Park Service, which handled the on-the-ground work for the Mall events, is short on money and needs Congress to approve more.

For the lawmakers who control spending, the $10 million request raises a simple question: Was the $150 million Congress already approved not enough to cover the Park Service's costs, or was the money spent in a way that left the agency covering expenses it was not given money for? Merkley's letter to Burgum signals that his subcommittee will want an answer before the request goes any further.