Raskin, Beyer, Norton, Ivey Oppose Trump Administration’s Rushed “Redevelopment” of Historic East Potomac Park

This press release from Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) was published on 2026-07-30 and titled "Raskin, Beyer, Norton, Ivey Oppose Trump Administration’s Rushed “Redevelopment” of Historic East Potomac Park".

Raskin, Beyer, Norton, Ivey Oppose Trump Administration’s Rushed “Redevelopment” of Historic East Potomac Park

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Don Beyer (VA-08) and Glenn Ivey (MD-04), along with 43 of their colleagues, demanded transparency about the Trump Administration's new vanity project , the proposed redevelopment of East Potomac Park designed by President Trump's handpicked architect, Tom Fazio. The letter, written to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Acting Director of the National Park Service Jessica Bowron, called on the Administration to preserve the park's historical features and affordability. In this latest letter, the lawmakers are demanding the administration disclose the cost of the golf course's redevelopment and how any changes would affect bike and walking paths. They also demanded the administration comply with historic preservation laws and disclose how the golf course's pricing may change. "We write with strong objections to your rushed 'redevelopment' of East Potomac Park, as well as the lack of clear public communication as to the changes planned for a beloved historic and recreation site," the lawmakers wrote. "Any significant construction requires compliance with bedrock environmental and historic preservation laws, robust public consultation and review, and protection of the existing uses of the site." East Potomac Park, which includes East Potomac Golf Links, lies on federal land in Washington, D.C. The existing golf courses are well-used and popular, and hosted 130,000 rounds of golf in 2025. The courses are known for both their affordability - a tee time costs as little as $17 - and their rich history and accessibility for players of all skill levels. In addition to the golf courses, East Potomac Park is also a beloved recreation site for thousands of residents in D.C., Maryland and Virginia who use the park's biking and walking paths and picnic on scenic Hains Point. In the spring, the park hosts visitors who travel to see D.C.'s oldest stand of cherry blossoms. The courses became a core part of the nation's civil rights history in 1941 when three Black golf players insisted on playing a round of golf, making East Potomac Golf Links one of the first desegregated public golf courses in the country. In addition to public access considerations, the lawmakers raised transparency concerns surrounding the redevelopment project's financing. "A private entity called the National Garden of American Heroes Foundation has sent brochures of the redesign to prospective donors and advertised the option for these donors to remain anonymous," the lawmakers wrote. "The only information available about this shadowy foundation is that interested donors can contact President Trump's 2024 presidential campaign finance director if they have any questions. The lawmakers first sounded the alarm on threats to East Potomac Park in response to the 35,000 cubic yards of toxic debris that the Trump Administration dumped on the golf courses following the illegal demolition of the White House's East Wing. The proposed East Potomac Park redevelopment follows the Trump Administration's pattern of unauthorized demolition and construction projects. Following the personal involvement of President Trump, the Administration has defaced other cultural and recreational spaces in the Nation's Capital, including the East Wing of the White House, the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The letter is also signed by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Andr Carson (IN-07), Sean Casten (IL-06), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny Davis (IL-07), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Dwight Evans (PA-03), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jes s "Chuy" Garc a (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry "Hank" Johnson (GA-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-04), Jerry Nadler (NY-17), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Emily Randall (WA-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Robert "Bobby" Scott (VA-03), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nydia Vel zquez (NY-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12). Read the full text of the letter here and below: Dear Secretary Burgum and Acting Director Bowron: We write with strong objections to your rushed "redevelopment" of East Potomac Park, as well as the lack of clear public communication as to the changes planned for a beloved historic and recreation site. Any significant construction at East Potomac Park, which was expressly created by Congress in 1897 to be "forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of the people," requires c