The Trump administration has announced plans to resurface the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with a swimming pool-style coating at an estimated cost of $1.5 million — a project described by the president himself as something to think of as "essentially a pool surface."  This rushed, cosmetic renovation to a historical landmark is not the best use of public time and money.

This is not an isolated decision. In recent months, the administration has started tearing down the White House East Wing to build a ballroom, adding a "Presidential Walk of Fame" to the West Wing, building a triumphal arch across the Potomac River, and painting the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white. These are aesthetic projects driven by personal taste, not public need.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans are struggling with the cost of healthcare, housing, and education. Communities across the country face crumbling infrastructure — roads, bridges, water systems, and public schools that have gone without investment for years. Federal workers and social service agencies are being asked to do more with less. The priorities couldn't be more misaligned.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool received a comprehensive, $34 million renovation as recently as 2012. The National Park Service regularly maintains it. There is no emergency here — just a preference for a different look.

We call on Congress to exercise its oversight authority and demand that public funds directed at federal landmarks be subject to transparent review, public input, and a genuine accounting of national priorities. Americans deserve a government that spends their money on what matters most.