President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape Washington face new obstacles after Democrats won control of Congress, giving opponents of his construction and renovation projects greater power over federal spending and oversight. Several projects are already entangled in lawsuits, and incoming Democratic leaders are signaling plans for investigations.
Trump continued to highlight the projects around the election. On Monday, he focused on the reflecting pool near the Lincoln Memorial. During a Wednesday tour of the White House ballroom construction site, he discussed its columns, steel beams and Corinthian designs. His broader agenda includes changes to the Kennedy Center, redevelopment of a public golf course and a towering memorial arch.
Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the senior Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, has spent much of the past year questioning the projects. In a letter seeking colleagues' backing to become chairman, he pledged to use the committee's investigative powers to examine wrongdoing and protect the public interest. The committee oversees the Interior Department, which has responsibilities involving federal parks and lands.
Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer opposed the proposed arch at a Thursday public hearing. His spokesman, Aaron Fritschner, said Democratic control of the appropriations process beginning Jan. 3 would provide a way to intervene. Fritschner also pointed to the House speaker's authority to select the chamber's general counsel, a change that could strengthen congressional participation in legal challenges. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is presumed to become speaker.
The National Capital Planning Commission approved the 250-foot arch by an 8-4 vote Thursday after a hearing lasting nine and a half hours, with more than 120 witnesses on hand. Participants opposing the project said it would undermine the solemn character of nearby Arlington National Cemetery. The commission's Trump-appointed chairman praised the proposal, which would stand in Memorial Circle across the Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial.
Before midnight Thursday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan barred the administration from breaking ground for 14 days. She is considering a request from three veterans and an architectural historian to halt work until their lawsuit is resolved. A separate case brought by the District of Columbia and Virginia was consolidated with that challenge.
The ballroom, East Potomac Golf Links, the proposed National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park and the arch have all faced litigation. In the golf course dispute, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes has said she intends to open a formal inquiry into whether administration attorneys crossed ethical boundaries.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represents plaintiffs in several cases, said congressional oversight would add another avenue for challenging the administration. She anticipated hearings and investigations into project financing. Cost information has remained limited, though a seawall at the golf course would cost more than $300 million. Congress has appropriated $257 million for Kennedy Center renovations. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Election results could also affect the National Guard deployment in Washington. Incoming Democratic governors in Texas, Georgia, Iowa and Nevada will lead states supplying more than 600 members of the mobilization Trump ordered in August 2025. Nearly 3,100 Guard personnel are currently stationed in the city, slightly more than last month.
