Trump Bypassed Law for a Taxpayer-Funded Luxury Golf Course. Step Up, Congress.

I am writing as your constituent regarding the National Park Service's sudden holiday weekend removal of 430 mature trees at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C., and the troubling executive pattern it reveals. In May, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes directed the administration to seek judicial approval before removing more than 10 trees at the historic park. Instead, government agencies initiated mass tree-cutting over a holiday weekend before notifying the court. At an October hearing, Judge Reyes noted the record involved "potential multiple misrepresentations to the court," stating: "Ignorance is not an excuse here" and that the government had lost "all credibility with me". She immediately halted further cutting. This sequence reflects a clear strategy: executing irreversible physical alterations before judicial review or statutory compliance can occur. A similar approach was used during the East Wing demolition for the White House ballroom, where structural demolition occurred within days before federal courts could evaluate congressional authorization requirements. Congress set aside East Potomac Park in 1897 "to be forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people". Pending litigation (DC Preservation League v. Department of the Interior, No. 1:26-cv-00477) alleges serious violations of the 1897 Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Historic Preservation Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. Interior Secretary Burgum has compared the redevelopment to luxury municipal courses where fees reach $80–$90 per round. Today, East Potomac's public rate is $48, providing accessible recreation for local residents, families, and seniors. I urge you to take immediate legislative action: 1. Require Financial & Conflict Disclosures: Direct the Interior Department to disclose by November 6 total project expenditures, contractors, planned fee structures, and any private financial interests. 2. Mandate Congressional Notice: Require 30 days' advance notice to Congress before major tree removal, closure, or redevelopment across National Capital Region parks. 3. Attach Appropriations Riders: Bar federal funds in the upcoming Interior spending bill for East Potomac redevelopment until full NEPA and Section 106 historical reviews and public comments are completed. 4. Protect Affordable Access: Condition any future concession agreements on maintaining low-cost public access and preserving affordable nine-hole options. Congress established this public park in 1897. Reclaim your Article I authority before public assets are permanently destroyed.