One afternoon in the late 1940s, while hosting the Daughters of the American Revolution in the Blue Room of the White House, First Lady Bess Truman was perturbed to see the crystal chandelier above their heads wildly rocking back and forth. Her husband was taking a bath right above them, causing the floor to buckle and nearly give way. President Truman later speculated on the scene had the entire bathtub come crashing through the ceiling onto the DAR assembly with him in it, “wearing nothing more than his reading glasses.” (The First Lady was presumably less amused.)
The incident confirmed what government engineers had long suspected: the White House was literally falling apart. Soon after, the Trumans were relocated to Blair House across the street, and the Executive Mansion was gutted and rebuilt.
Today’s White House is a pastiche of multiple renovations, reconstructions and repairs made during virtually every President’s administration (including a rebuild after the Brits set it on fire in 1814). It’s therefore little surprise that the 47th President, a real estate tycoon, wants to leave his mark on the building. But the scope of his planned addition – a 90,000 square foot, 650-seat ballroom attached to a renovated east wing – is making plenty of waves.
President Trump says he will pay for the $200 million project from his own pocket and from other “patriot donors,” and wants it completed by the end of his term in January 2029. Whether the design keeps faith with James Hoban’s Neoclassical original, or is more an example of “Mar-a-Lago chic,” is not for ACRASphere to determine.
But what’s not up for debate is that the National Historic Preservation Act expressly exempts the White House (as well as the Supreme Court and the Capitol) from Section 106 reviews. And so, barring a change of heart from POTUS, the White House will most assuredly be transformed once again.
Obviously, the ability to host lavish balls at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is far from the only way that Donald Trump is trying to change Washington. Congress has left town on its August recess and the Supreme Court is on its summer hiatus, leaving the White House to keep churning out policies and pronouncements that impact CRM in ways direct and indirect.
On the indirect side, as of last week President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs are on again for much of the world. Higher duties on about 90 countries went into effect Thursday, sending U.S. tariff rates to their highest levels in nearly a century.
The new tariffs range from 15 percent for several countries up to 35 percent (Canada and Iraq), 39 percent (Switzerland), and a staggering 50 percent for India – which may see a 100-percent tariff in a few weeks if Trump follows through on his threat to double its tariff if it does not wean itself off Russian oil.
The White House says the tariffs will bring manufacturing back to the U.S., force other countries to make deals with Washington (four countries and the European Union have made deals so far, although the details have yet to be worked out), and bring in lots of revenue to the federal government. But many economists worry that the tariffs will rattle the global economy, raise prices for consumers and push countries to build closer economic ties to China and other U.S. adversaries.
What will the impact be on CRM firms? Unless firms are purchasing large amounts of equipment from overseas, the effects are likely to be indirect. But if the economists are right that the tariffs will lead to inflation, or its evil cousin stagflation (inflation coupled with low growth and high unemployment), no sector will be immune.
It is entirely possible that the new tariffs will lead to a frenzy of trade deals that cause economic worries to dissipate. But trade deals are notoriously complex and often take years to complete. Combined with the possibility of a government shutdown this fall (more on that in the next Your Congress at Work), a prolonged trade war will not do the economy any favors. And it certainly won’t put anyone in the mood for ballroom dancing at the White House.
ACRA Urges Agencies to Consider Effects of NEPA Changes on Section 106
As previously reported in ACRASphere, ACRA has urged federal agencies to ensure that new NEPA regulations continue to ensure the protection of cultural resources.
Following several federal agencies’ issuance of new NEPA regulations and guidance,
ACRA reminded agencies that “changes to . . . NEPA regulations do not release [them] from [their] obligations under Section 106 of NHPA and its accompanying regulations,” ACRA told the agencies.
ACRA also expressed concerns that a number of agencies are eliminating NEPA regulations and replacing them with guidance documents; that the changes are being made without adequate consultation with Tribes and THPOs; and that recent staffing cuts will make it even more difficult to implement environmental and cultural review laws like NEPA and NHPA.
You can read ACRA’s comments here.
Get in the Know at the 2025 ACRA Conference
As the White House and Congress continue debating far-reaching policies that affect CRM, attending the ACRA 2024 Annual Conference in Raleigh, NC, Sept. 11-14 is an essential way to stay on top of developments.
This year’s conference theme — Policy and Protecting Cultural Resources — will explore how policy intersects with the protection of cultural resources. This includes Federal policy, state policies, and the involvement of communities and other stakeholders.
Registration for the 2025 ACRA Conference is now open! Click here to register now.