VA Lawmaker Blasts Trump Plan To Put Drones, Snipers At Memorial Bridge Arch

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Arlington) criticized President Donald Trump’s latest plans for a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge, saying the president’s proposal to use the structure for drones, snipers and ammunition would create new safety concerns near Reagan National Airport and busy commuter routes.

Trump said Sunday that, at the military’s “strong request,” he had agreed to convert the planned arch into what he described as a “top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch” capable of housing and deploying large numbers of drones, accommodating snipers and storing ammunition, according to The Associated Press. The Pentagon told the Associated Press it had no information beyond the president’s statement

Beyer, a Democrat whose 8th Congressional District includes Arlington National Cemetery and Reagan National Airport, said Tuesday that the change would raise questions about earlier reviews of the project.

Beyer Raises DCA Concerns

“Putting a drone launching site directly in the landing path for DCA is a stupid, dangerous, and unworkable idea,” Beyer said in a statement. “But if Trump wants to pursue it, the FAA’s prior work over the past six months to rubber stamp this proposal with a dubious safety study will be obsolete, and they will have to do it all over again.”

Beyer also objected to Trump’s proposal to store ammunition at the site, citing the number of tourists, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers who pass through the area, as well as its proximity to Metro’s Blue Line.

“Likewise, Trump’s notion to make his vanity arch an ammunition depot for ‘snipers’ in a location where snipers have never been needed would place a large weapons cache within feet of thousands of tourists, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers on major commuter traffic thoroughfares and Metro’s Blue Line,” Beyer said. He said the proposal should require previous impact studies to be revisited.

ALSO SEE: VA Rep. Slams 'Unproven AI Air Traffic Control' Tool, Calls On FAA To Halt Rollout

The arch is proposed for Memorial Circle, adjacent to Arlington Memorial Bridge between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, AP reports. The bridge is one of the major Potomac River crossings connecting Washington and Northern Virginia.

Trump has said the arch would commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. According to AP, the project has received preliminary approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, but the commission has not granted final approval and is expected to consider the proposal again this fall.

Project Faces Legal Challenge

The project also faces a federal lawsuit brought by three military veterans and an architectural historian who argue that congressional approval is required before construction can proceed, according to AP. Trump’s administration has not accepted that argument.

Beyer’s office said the congressman has introduced the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act, legislation that would prohibit construction of the arch. His office also said he has previously raised concerns about possible traffic impacts from the project.

In Tuesday’s statement, Beyer accused Trump of invoking national security to strengthen the administration’s legal position for the project. That characterization represents Beyer’s view; Trump said in his social media post that the change came at the military’s request.

Beyer’s office also pointed to a National Park Service assessment that it said found the proposed arch would adversely affect numerous nearby historic properties, including Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.