DC, Virginia sue over Pres. Trump's proposed arch

First, Virginia and D.C. have filed a joint lawsuit tonight challenging President Trump's proposed triumphal arch. The attorneys general argue the Trump administration did not complete the required reviews and get approvals as mandated by federal law. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson submitted a declaration in support of the case and is also a member of the National Capital Planning Commission. He joins me now live to discuss it all. Sir, thank you so much for being with us tonight. Thank you for having me. So I know you've cited the timeline here, along with the lack of congressional approval, as some of your concerns. What is it that's most troubled you that led you to submit this declaration today? Well, my position in this is unique because I am a member of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is the final step in the review process. And the president has indicated that as soon as the National Capital Planning Commission, or NCPC, votes, that they're going to immediately begin excavation and work. On the arch, but the district's complaint more broadly is that the district is harmed in a number of ways, I think most notably with regard to transportation impacts. From my perspective, as a member of NCPC, I'm supposed to make a decision without being fully informed through the process which Congress set up, which is called the Commemorative Memorial Act. It's a process that starts with congressional action that is extensive in reviewing alternatives both in design as well as location. None of that has happened, and so I'm being forced to make an uninformed decision. Sir, if Congress went ahead and authorized the arch and all required reviews were completed and you'd been given the information, you'd be comfortable then to vote? Well, I would be better informed. I mean, if they went through all the steps, yes, what the National Capital Planning Commission or NCPC would have is a fully developed record with regard to alternatives, as well as mitigating impacts. We have very little, if any, of that. You talked about not having the information, sir, that you would need to make an informed vote as a member of the commission. Can you give me some examples of what that information is that you would like to see before you're forced to vote that you say you just haven't been given access to? Well, first of all, I don't know what the purpose is of the arch. Now, that may seem kind of a little odd to anyone who's listening, but when President Trump first announced it, he was asked what was the purpose, and he said me, meaning himself. Since then, it has been to commemorate our 250th anniversary, except more recently they've been talking about how it is to commemorate veterans. One of the issues, and I'm looking at the visual right now, is that there's... Huge symbolism in the connection between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery and Arlington House, which was last owned by Robert E. Lee. In establishing the Memorial Bridge and that nexus, there was an intention of unifying the North and the South, literally. That was the articulated purpose. Thank That doesn't seem to be at all in the thinking of what the purpose is behind this memorial arch. you To the 250th anniversary, to veterans, very to the president, to I'm not sure what the purpose is. much And if you don't know what the purpose is, for then it's a little hard to know exactly what the design should be. your Certainly the judge overseeing this case could could weigh in really any moment now on whether she's going time. to temporarily block construction from going forward. Sir, I guess if that doesn't happen or even if it does happen and there's still a vote, if you don't have enough information to vote, do you know how you will vote? Will you abstain? Is that even an option? And at this point, does a vote in your view really matter if it's pending in the courts? Well, some would say that the vote doesn't matter because the NCPC is now, the membership has changed extensively, and they're Trump appointees or they are agency representatives from the Trump administration. I want to emphasize what's missing here is that the commemorative works process starts with Congress agreeing that there is to be a commemorative work and what its purpose is. And then also... Agreeing sort of generally where it should be located. And then it goes to the Capitol, excuse me, the Commemorative Memorial Advisory Committee, which is supposed to look at alternatives. It's an extensive process. And all of that has been ignored. And instead, what the White House is telling NCPC is that this is completing a 1924 act of Congress, which explicitly did not call for an arch or Anything that would block the view between the vista, if you will, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery and Arlington House. So those steps need to happen. Congressional action first and then going through the process with an iterative process with the Memorial Advisory Commission. As well as the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, and it's an extensive process, and these memorials take years. I think the Eisenhower Memorial took well over a decade. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, thank you for joining us tonight, especially on a holiday. We appreciate it, and we will be watching what happens next very closely. Thank you very much.