The White House on Tuesday (October 28th) dismissed all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency responsible for providing advice on architectural development projects in the Washington, D.C. area.
A White House official stated, “We are preparing to appoint a new group of members to the commission who are more supportive of President Trump’s ‘America First’ policy.”
This move comes as Trump advances two construction projects: one being the construction of a new White House banquet hall. Currently, the East Wing of the White House has been demolished to make room for the banquet hall. Nearly two weeks ago, Trump also announced plans to build a new monument resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This arch will be located on a traffic island at the intersection of Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., situated between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of independence next year.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration dismissed all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, who were appointed by former President Biden, with their four-year terms originally set to end after 2028.
An advisor from the White House Presidential Personnel Office conveyed the dismissal notice via email, which took immediate effect.
It is currently unclear whether the Commission of Fine Arts has jurisdiction over the White House banquet hall project, but if not dismissed, it is expected that these members would review plans to construct the new monument. Although preliminary work on the White House banquet hall has begun, the design and construction plans for the arch have not been finalized yet. Any new federal building or monument design requires approval from the Commission of Fine Arts, which is currently closed due to the government shutdown.
Established by Congress in 1910, the commission provides recommendations on the placement of statues and monuments in public areas of Washington, D.C. Over the decades, its scope of authority has expanded to include other building projects on public land and adjacent public land.
Some laws and regulations regarding architectural renovations do not apply to the White House. The White House stated that the demolition of the East Wing did not require approval, as such projects do not need the approval of the National Capital Planning Commission. However, it is anticipated that the government will submit the design plans for the White House banquet hall to this commission for review, which is currently composed of Trump’s allies.