MaddowBlog-Trump-imposed changes at national parks face swift pushback in Congress, courts
If the White House hoped these changes would go unnoticed or unchallenged, those hopes have been dashed.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-imposed-changes-at-national-parks-faces-swift-pushback-in-congress-courts
The administrations Interior Department announced last week that some annual passes to the national parks will feature a picture of Trump alongside an image of George Washington. As MS NOW reported,
the agency also announced that entry to national parks will no longer be free on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Juneteenth, but American visitors will be able to enter the parks without a fee on designated patriotic days, including Trumps birthday.
The former development has already generated a federal lawsuit. The New York Times reported:
An environmental group on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging the National Park Services plan to emblazon President Trumps face on some annual passes to national parks starting Jan. 1.
The suit, filed in federal court in the District of Columbia by the Center for Biological Diversity, argued that it would violate federal law to put Mr. Trumps visage on some of the passes, which have traditionally featured photos of scenic landscapes and wildlife.
According to the plaintiffs, the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act requires the passes to display the winner of an annual photo competition held by the National Park Foundation.
Blotting out the majesty of Americas national parks with a close-up of his own face is Trumps crassest, most ego-driven action yet, Kierán Suckling, the executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, told the Times.
As for the entrance fees, Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York introduced
new legislation this week to guarantee free admission to National Parks on all national holidays, including Juneteenth and MLK Day, which Trump apparently doesnt prioritize.
The same bill would block presidents from unilaterally altering the free-admission calendar at national parks without congressional approval.