1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I urge Congress to enact legislation protecting America's national monuments, memorials, historic buildings, national parks, and other federally owned cultural treasures from unilateral executive action. Recent public discussion has highlighted a broader concern that transcends any one administration: whether a President could order the alteration, demolition, replacement, relocation, or construction of major federal monuments or structures without sufficient congressional authorization, public review, or judicial oversight. Our national treasures belong to the American people, not to any individual officeholder. Congress should strengthen existing protections by requiring explicit congressional approval for any substantial alteration, demolition, relocation, replacement, or new construction affecting nationally significant monuments, memorials, historic buildings, national parks, and federally designated cultural landmarks. Such legislation should apply regardless of which political party controls the White House. I also urge Congress to establish expedited judicial review procedures whenever executive actions could cause irreversible damage to protected federal properties. Courts should have the authority to issue immediate temporary stays while legal challenges are reviewed. Once a historic structure, monument, artwork, or landscape is destroyed, no court can fully restore what has been lost. In addition, Congress should strengthen protections for career civil servants, inspectors general, contracting officers, and whistleblowers who refuse unlawful orders or report attempts to bypass procurement, appropriations, environmental review, historic preservation, or public notice requirements. Federal contractors should be required to verify statutory authority and funding authorization before undertaking major projects affecting protected federal assets. These reforms would not weaken the Presidency. Rather, they would reinforce the Constitution's system of checks and balances by ensuring that decisions affecting our shared national heritage receive appropriate congressional oversight, public transparency, and judicial review. America's monuments, memorials, parks, and historic buildings belong to future generations as much as they belong to us today. Please support legislation that preserves these national treasures and prevents any President from acting unilaterally to alter or destroy them.