Washington and Virginia Sue to Halt Trump's Proposed Arch
The District of Columbia and Virginia filed a lawsuit in federal court on Saturday seeking to halt the Trump administration's proposed memorial arch. Attorneys General Brian Schwalb of Washington, DC and Jay Jones of Virginia brought the case, and they are asking for a temporary restraining order, a short-term court order that would block construction while the case proceeds. It is the third lawsuit seeking to stop work on the project.
The administration says construction could begin as early as next week. In a court filing, it said it plans to seek final approval for the arch at Thursday's meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, a federal body, and possibly begin building the same day.
The earlier challenges include a suit filed in February by three Vietnam War veterans, Politico reported. That case also involves an architectural historian. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan held a hearing on Friday on whether to halt the arch until the original lawsuit is resolved, but she did not immediately rule.
The new joint lawsuit runs 45 pages and was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. It calls the project "flagrantly unlawful." Its central argument is that the project is unlawful because Trump did not seek authorization from Congress to build it, according to The Hill.
On Friday, the government submitted a 106-page plan for the structure. As described in the Guardian's reporting, the arch would stand 250 feet (76 meters) tall on a patch of grass off the bridge over the Potomac River that links Washington with Arlington National Cemetery. It would rise more than 12 stories and be topped with a bronze, winged Lady Liberty statue holding a torch with an eternal flame. Measured from base to the top of the torch, it would be 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.
The design includes an observation deck, an occupied roof, two mezzanines, program space, offices, a staff lounge, circular staircases, several elevators and a fire command center. The project proposes rerouting traffic on nearby roads and anticipates a three-year construction period. Administration officials have said the arch would also serve a national security function.
