Duckworth Demands the FAA Prioritize Safety and Reject Trump’s Vanity Arch

Duckworth Demands the FAA Prioritize Safety and Reject Trump's Vanity Arch

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)-Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation-is demanding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reject any pressure to rubberstamp President Donald Trump's latest taxpayer-funded vanity project, the so-called "Triumphal Arch," that could jeopardize the safety of the flying public. In a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, Duckworth warned against wasting time and resources reviewing the proposed 259-foot "Triumphal Arch," which would be constructed in one of the most complex and congested airspaces in the country.

Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Duckworth wrote, "President Trump choosing to force the FAA to invest limited staff and resources into a distracting review of his gaudy and disgraceful arch is merely the latest example of Trump putting his pet projects first, while neglecting America's needs. This wasteful and dangerous project is particularly irresponsible given the FAA's ongoing efforts to implement safety enhancements in and around DCA following the preventable DCA collision in late January 2025, the deadliest domestic air crash since the 2009 Colgan tragedy."

In the letter, the Senator underscores the critical importance of exercising the highest level of caution in DC airspace after the tragic DCA collision claimed 67 lives. Initial reviews of the Arch project were conducted on an expedited timeline, raising concerns about undue pressure from the Trump Administration to advance a needless project which could put people's lives in danger.

"Your mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. Accordingly, the FAA must commit to upholding the highest safety standards and be firm in rejecting any improper or irresponsible pressure from President Trump to prioritize the construction of his gaudy, vanity arch over the safety of the American people," concluded Ranking Member Duckworth.

Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth's website and below:

Dear Administrator Bedford:

I write to demand the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uphold the highest safety standards and reject any efforts from President Donald Trump to pressure the FAA into wasting time and resources modifying the complex National Capital Region (NCR) airspace as part of a wasteful campaign to rubberstamp Donald Trump's newest vanity project, the so-called "Triumphal Arch." The Trump arch-which Donald Trump's arch designer noted is a distinct memorial because unlike the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, President Trump's arch is intended to celebrate the living-would offensively desecrate the hallowed symbolism of Arlington National Cemetery by destroying the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House that has symbolized post-Civil War unity for decades.

Furthermore, the vanity arch's proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)-which, as the Trump administration is well aware, is one of the most complex, constrained and airspaces in the National Airspace System-reflects a flagrant disregard for the operational integrity of the airspace, aviation safety and the priorities of the American people.

President Trump choosing to force the FAA to invest limited staff and resources into a distracting review of his gaudy and disgraceful arch is merely the latest example of Trump putting his pet projects first, while neglecting America's needs. This wasteful and dangerous project is particularly irresponsible given the FAA's ongoing efforts to implement safety enhancements in and around DCA following the preventable DCA collision in late January 2025, the deadliest domestic air crash since the 2009 Colgan tragedy.

As you know, the FAA has failed to secure full funding for the Trump administration's "Brand New Air Traffic Control System" despite Republicans controlling the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate since 2025, and jamming through not just one, but two, massive partisan Republican reconciliation spending bills. Some may brush off wasting millions, if not billions, of taxpayer dollars on Trump's vanity arch as only an annoying nuisance. However, FAA should know better than anyone that such flippant dismissals are reckless and wrong.

The NCR is an extremely challenging airspace because of complicated flight paths, restricted airspace and complex civil-military operations. Even minor disruptions can have cascading, fatal effects-a sobering reality that our country witnessed just last year when a midair collision involving a commercial aircraft and an Army Blackhawk helicopter killed 67 people. The DCA midair collision underscores the consequences of inadequate coordination and the need for extreme caution when evaluating any new obstruction in this environment.

The FAA's initial feasibility study was a "limited review" and far from the required full aeronautical study that must be conducted. However, even this limited examination confirmed that the proposed 259-ft Trump vanity arch structure requires red lighting because it constitutes an obstruction under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 77. FAA's initial review appears to have been completed on an expedited timeline, raising questions as to whether Donald Trump or his White House aides are already improperly pressuring FAA to prioritize rubberstamping Trump's vanity arch over public safety.

Importantly, the finished structure is not the only potential hazard Donald Trump is forcing into this highly congested, complex DCA airspace. The National Park Service (NPS) indicated that construction of Trump's vanity arch would require cranes reaching 300 to 320 feet in height and NPS estimated construction could last 20 hours per day for two to three years. On final approach to DCA, commercial jets can fly as low as 500 feet above ground level (AGL). Introducing construction equipment approaching the AGL limit in an already congested airspace raises additional operational and safety issues.

There is already evidence that the Trump administration is dismissive of, or simply avoids, advanced aviation safety planning in coordination with FAA experts. In addition to the Trump administration's chaotic testing of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the NAS, commercial pilots reported that during evening approaches to DCA, the bright lights from Donald Trump's personal UFC playground-which was installed on the White House lawn for his taxpayer-funded birthday party-impaired pilot visibility as they worked to navigate one of the most challenging approaches in the NAS.

Your mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. Accordingly, the FAA must commit to upholding the highest safety standards and be firm in rejecting any improper or irresponsible pressure from President Trump to prioritize the construction of his gaudy, vanity arch over the safety of the American people.

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