Democrats Accuse Trump Administration of Quietly Awarding Contracts for East Potomac Golf Course Overhaul
Lawmakers claim the National Park Service has awarded contracts to begin work on President Trump's planned takeover of the historic public golf course without congressional notification.
Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee have revealed that the Trump administration has awarded contracts to commence work on President Donald Trump’s planned overhaul of the East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C. The lawmakers assert that the National Park Service hired a civil engineering firm for the project without any public announcement or notification to Congress.
Rep. Jared Huffman, the committee's top Democrat, stated during a hearing that a contract approved last week authorizes nearly $400,000 for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., a Massachusetts-based company, to conduct environmental and historic preservation compliance work at the course. The park service has also posted a projected construction contract valued up to $49 million, with an anticipated solicitation date of Jan. 31, 2027.
Huffman criticized the move, characterizing it as a "systematic" effort to transform the "beloved public space with huge historic significance" into a private golf club for the wealthy, with American taxpayers bearing the cost. He argued that the redevelopment plan would violate the congressional act that established the park over a century ago.
Democrats cited published reports indicating that the administration has reached an agreement with Fazio Design and unspecified private and public partners to begin major construction. Trump has expressed a desire to turn the golf course into a "world-class golf venue."
Huffman, along with Maryland Reps. Jamie Raskin and Glenn Ivey, District of Columbia Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Virginia Rep. Don Beyer, have sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and acting Park Service director Jessica Bowron, demanding all documents and communications related to the project. They emphasized that "East Potomac Park does not belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to the American people, and it has for more than a century."
Spokespeople for the Interior Department and the National Park Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Democrats pledged to continue scrutinizing the project to ensure the public receives answers and to prevent what they described as the "stealing" of public land.