In an abrupt move, the White House has terminated all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), a century-old federal advisory body traditionally charged with reviewing designs for major building and memorial projects in the Washington region. The dismissed commissioners had been expected to review key design proposals for President Donald Trump’s plan to build a new ballroom for the White House complex, as well as a proposed triumphal arch.
The administration justified the terminations as part of a broader strategy to restructure oversight boards and install allies on regulatory panels seen as critical to advancing high-profile construction efforts. Preservation groups reacted swiftly, warning that the removal of the CFA could undermine historic safeguards and erode independent review of federal architecture in the Capitol area.
With the CFA seat left vacant, the White House appears poised to press ahead with its 90,000-square-foot ballroom without the traditional advisory check provided by the commission. +1 Critics say the move sets a concerning precedent for design oversight in federal projects, raising questions about transparency and the role of independent commissions in curbing executive discretion.
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