Stop Plan That Could Permanently Damage An Important National Landmark

HISTORIC PRESERVATION REQUIRES FULL LAWFUL REVIEW As a constituent, I urge you to ensure that the President’s reported plan to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white does not proceed without full lawful review. This is not a routine maintenance or cosmetic decision. It would materially alter, and likely damage, the exterior of a National Historic Landmark and should not proceed without proper legal and procedural safeguards. THE EISENHOWER BUILDING DESERVES CAREFUL STEWARDSHIP The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is a major historic federal building and a prominent part of the White House complex. CBS News reported on April 11, 2026, in “Trump proposes covering executive office building’s gray stone facade with white paint,” that plans had been submitted to paint the building white and that the proposal was headed to the Commission of Fine Arts for review. Preservation advocates have warned that painting the masonry could cause irreversible damage. CONGRESS HAS A DUTY TO EXERCISE OVERSIGHT Because Congress has oversight and spending authority over federal property decisions of this kind, your office should state publicly that no exterior alteration should proceed without full lawful review, full transparency, and a clear legal basis. Congress should require disclosure of the planning, preservation analysis, costs, funding source, and legal authority for any effort to repaint or otherwise alter the building’s exterior. CONGRESS MUST INVESTIGATE AND LEGISLATE I urge you to take the following steps: (1) state publicly that no effort to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building or otherwise alter its historic exterior should proceed without full lawful review; (2) press for immediate oversight hearings into whether preservation law, required review procedures, and appropriations limits are being ignored or circumvented, and seek documents, witness testimony, and a formal legal justification from the relevant agencies or offices; and (3) support legislation clarifying that material exterior changes to designated historic federal properties in the White House complex and President’s Park require clear statutory authority, full public review, and explicit Congressional approval. CONGRESS CANNOT ALLOW THIS PRECEDENT TO STAND If Congress stays silent, it will signal that protected federal property may be materially altered without adequate legal review or public accountability. That would weaken preservation safeguards far beyond this one building and invite future administrations to test similar limits. PUBLIC TRUST REQUIRES ACTION This is about more than paint. It is about whether historic public property will be protected by law, accountable process, and respect for Congress’s constitutional role. Congress must act now to ensure that such actions cannot proceed without lawful review in the future. Thank you.