1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to publicly oppose any effort by President Trump and his administration to paint the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building white and to prevent any work from proceeding until full review is complete. Congress must not remain silent while a nationally significant historic landmark faces a potentially irreversible alteration driven by personal aesthetic preference rather than preservation standards. PRESERVATION STANDARDS CANNOT BE IGNORED The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is not an ordinary office structure. It is a National Historic Landmark and one of the nation’s most important federal buildings. Preservation experts, historians, and members of the Eisenhower family have reportedly warned that painting the granite facade could permanently damage the building and alter its historic character. THE EISENHOWER FAMILY’S WARNING SHOULD CARRY WEIGHT Susan Eisenhower, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s granddaughter, has reportedly urged caution and criticized the rushed timeline and aesthetic reasoning behind the proposal. Her involvement matters because this building bears the Eisenhower name and belongs to the nation’s historical inheritance, not to one president’s personal design preference. THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION MUST RECEIVE FULL DISCLOSURE Congress should ask whether the National Capital Planning Commission, historic preservation authorities, and any required federal review processes have been given complete information before any work begins. No irreversible alteration should proceed unless the legal, engineering, preservation, environmental, and public-interest questions have been answered. TAXPAYERS SHOULD NOT FUND UNREVIEWED COSMETIC PROJECTS Reports indicate that the project could cost taxpayers at least $7.5 million. At a time of serious fiscal pressure, Congress should not permit federal funds to be diverted toward cosmetic changes to a historic federal landmark. CONGRESS MUST DEFEND THE NATION’S HISTORIC HERITAGE Historic federal buildings belong to the American people, not to any one administration. Decisions affecting national landmarks should be guided by preservation expertise, public accountability, and respect for history - not personal taste. I urge you to: (1) Publicly oppose any painting or coating of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building unless full review is complete. (2) Insist on full historic-preservation and environmental review before any work proceeds. (3) Oppose taxpayer funding for this project unless all required reviews are complete and Congress is fully informed. (4) Conduct Congressional oversight into whether federal preservation laws and procedures are being bypassed. Thank you.