Exclusive: Congress presses Trump on D.C. golf course plans
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Congress keeps asking questions about the East Potomac golf course, but the Trump admin is staying mum.
Why it matters: President Trump wants his championship-style reno to begin Sept. 1, but the administration still hasn't released final plans or its price tag. And it's unclear whether a judge will stand in the way.
State of play: Maryland and Virginia senators demanded details from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum earlier this month, but got no response, according to Sen. Chris Van Hollen's office.
- Taking another swing is Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who wants to know the cost, whether cherry trees donated by Japan will be uprooted, and whether the public will get a chance to weigh in.
- The congressman also wants to know if Trump's PGA-grade designs will shut out longtime casuals, who currently can play on a beginner-friendly course, along with a full-length 18-hole — all at an affordable rate and with cheap clubhouse eats.
- And after Trump was spotted holding blueprints of what appeared to be a more expansive course than what was initially released — including a design that wipes out recreation space on the peninsula's perimeter — Raskin asks: "Will the beloved and heavily-used walking and biking paths and lanes through the Park be preserved?"
Raskin's office shared a letter sent to Burgum on Thursday, seeking answers by Aug. 14. About four dozen congressional members signed on, including co-leads Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Reps. Don Beyer and Glenn Ivey.
Catch up quick: Trump tapped Tom Fazio, the 81-year-old famed golf architect, to design the new course.
- Burgum revealed a rendering of the new site in May, promising "championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates."
- In an email, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called it a "decrepit golf course," and said Trump and his team will "restore its glamour and prestige."
Yes, but: The D.C. Preservation League is suing to stop the project, arguing the plans go against Congress' 1897 establishment of the park as a place for the "recreation and pleasure of the people."
- Before moving forward with construction, a federal judge directed the National Park Service to submit a timeline and details about the project at a hearing earlier in July.