1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Congress needs to reject this $10 billion request for Washington, D.C. maintenance and demand accountability. The documented backlog for the National Mall is $2 billion. A $10 billion ask with no transparent justification isn't a maintenance plan — it's a slush fund. If this administration is serious about ending waste and fraud, it shouldn't be exploiting federal appropriations to enrich connected insiders. If Congress wants to make a real investment in public lands, here's what that looks like: fund the full $28 billion maintenance backlog across all national parks, not just the capital. Rehire the park service staff who were cut last year. Those workers maintained trails, protected wildlife, and served millions of visitors. Their dismissal was a policy failure, and it should be reversed. The National Park System belongs to every American, not just those who visit the Mall. Allocate funding based on actual need, demand full transparency on how every dollar will be spent, and reject any proposal that can't account for the gap between $2 billion in documented need and a $10 billion price tag.