Final design vote for Trump's proposed 250-foot arch sparks fierce clash and lawsuits

Are you going to get arrested? Well, I hope so. I don't want to be arrested, but I'm willing to be arrested. Virginia Congressman Don Beyer telling TMZ he is willing to go to great lengths to block President Trump's arch from becoming a reality. Tonight's plans for the structure are getting closer to a reality, but it's facing a legal fight. The National Capital Planning Commission plans to vote today on the final design as the president pushes to get construction underway. Fox 5's Tom Fitzgerald is live near the Memorial Bridge and Fitz board members clashing today. But this vote will not be the end of the story, right? Yeah, and keep in mind, the approval of this arch by the National Capital Planning Commission, it's been expected for a long time. President Trump has appointed enough members onto the commission to assure that he will have the votes when they finally start taking that vote. But keep in mind, this is not the end of the story. There are several lawsuits. Tying this up right now by both D.C., Virginia, and several other groups, all of them challenging the president's authorities to build that arch without congressional approval. So this was the scene today near Memorial Circle as protesters rallied near where the 250-foot arch would be built. It would feature gold statues and an eternal flame. President Trump said it will honor America's 250th anniversary. But critics... And now these lawsuits say a very different version. They say it dishonors American veterans who are buried in America's most hallowed grounds. The NCPC chairman of the D.C. Council President Phil Mendelson, who is also a commissioner, clashed today. The inscription across the arch, One Nation Under God, perfectly captures a vision of great Americans going back to Andrew Jackson and Daniel Webster. President Trump's triumphal arch will demonstrate what our nation cherishes the most. And I'm not seeing that this arch, and my point is not to argue, my point is to ask to understand what the purpose is of this arch. So Fitz, how long could this last and how soon could construction on the arch begin? Well, the meeting is going to last for a while, Shamar. There are 130 people that are signed up in this virtual hearing today. This started at about 2 o'clock, taking testimony. It's expected to continue into the evening as far as the construction of the arch itself. We are told from Justice Department filings that site work, preliminary site work, could take anywhere from six to eight months once construction gets underway. That could take up to 33 months, so this is not going to be any time soon. But as we said, this legal fight could have something to say about whether they get started at all.