Reps. Titus, Pingree Demand Answers from President Trump on the Unauthorized Use of Taxpayer Dollars for His Triumphal Arch

Reps. Titus, Pingree Demand Answers from President Trump on the Unauthorized Use of Taxpayer Dollars for His Triumphal Arch

Co-Chair of the Congressional Humanities Caucus Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) led a group of lawmakers expressing concerns to President Donald Trump and Acting Chairman for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) William English regarding NEH funds being unlawfully redirected toward the construction of a Triumphal Arch.

Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Jared Huffman (CA-02), along with Representatives Don Beyer (VA-08) and Steve Cohen (TN-09), joined Congresswoman Titus and Congresswoman Pingree in demanding the Administration cease funding for this unauthorized project, provide clarity on the use of NEH funds, and promptly distribute appropriated funding to humanities councils and other intended recipients.

"A construction project of this nature, especially one previously described by President Trump as privately funded, falls well outside the intended use of NEH program funding. Allocating funds to a project that has no legal basis to proceed is an abuse of taxpayer dollars," write the lawmakers.

"At the same time, museums, libraries, and local organizations nationwide wait for funding that Congress has already approved. NEH has yet to distribute appropriated funding for state and jurisdictional humanities councils, leaving these organizations in limbo halfway through the fiscal year. These institutions form the backbone of American civic and cultural life; redirecting their funding to a project that neither aligns with NEH's mission nor reflects congressional intent risks real and immediate harm to communities nationwide," continue the lawmakers.

The lawmakers' letter specifically demands answers from President Trump and Mr. English on the following questions:

• What is the grant purpose for the $2 million of Special Initiative funds and the $13 million of matching grant funds?
• Who is the recipient of these awards? Please provide all application materials associated with these grants.
• Did the National Council on the Humanities review and approve this funding?
• Why has the Administration not followed statutory requirements in siting the project in Area I, and when will it notify the appropriate committees of Congress as required by the Commemorative Works Act (CWA)?
• What legal authority is NEH using to provide these grants for a project that is lacking a statutorily required authorization?
• If funds are available for this project, why have congressionally directed funds for NEH activities not yet been fully disbursed to state humanities councils?
• What is the anticipated project cost of the Arch, and what other funding sources are being used for this project?
• What will be the total cost of the project to taxpayers, beyond the $15 million identified in NEH's FY2026 Full Year Spend Plan?
• Will the Administration commit to full public disclosure of all private funding sources for the Arch, including a list of any donors and amounts contributed or pledged?

Full text of the letter can be found here.

Background

Despite previous claims that President Trump would only use private donations to fund his Triumphal Arch, the National Endowment for Humanities released its FY26 plan earlier this month including $15 million for this project despite the absence of congressional authorization required under the CWA.

This is happening while humanities councils are experiencing an unprecedented funding crisis. Although Congress maintained the $65 million appropriation for councils in the recently passed funding bill, funds have not yet been released. As a result, councils across the country have endured layoffs, frozen grant programs, and scaled back urgent community initiatives, including preparations for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Instead of using funding as Congress intended, the Administration is using taxpayer dollars for a self-righteous project that lacks clear legal authority, while undermining the cultural and civic institutions that serve communities throughout the nation.

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