Congress created the National Capital Planning Commission about a century ago, with the idea that the agency would focus on central planning in and around Washington, D.C. The NCPC has done exactly that, and for the past 102 years, its work has largely unfolded in the background, without a whole lot of fierce political controversies.
In fact, for generations, it was hardly a national news story when the NCPC received a new chair, since it was a relatively obscure position on an agency the vast majority of Americans had never heard of.
But as is true in so many ways, things are quite different with Donald Trump in the White House. The New York Times reported:
President Trump has named Mark Paoletta, a lawyer in his administration and a close associate of Justice Clarence Thomas’s, to lead the panel that will oversee the construction of several of his prized construction projects, including the planned Triumphal Arch.
Mr. Paoletta, who also serves as the general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget, will replace Will Scharf, a White House official who is set to become the White House counsel in September.
There’s no great mystery as to what officials can expect from Paoletta once his term gets under way. He’s already a trusted member of Team Trump — in late 2024, the then-president-elect celebrated Paoletta as “a conservative warrior” — who, among other things, also represented Ginni Thomas when she faced questions from Congress’ bipartisan Jan. 6 committee.
Paoletta, in other words, will almost certainly serve as a rubber stamp for the White House’s wishes once he begins his tenure as chair of the National Capital Planning Commission. (Other members of the commission include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.)
The broader concern, however, is just how frequently this rubber stamp will be used. A NOTUS report added, “Paoletta, the conservative lawyer who helped gut the federal bureaucracy as a deputy to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, is set to inherit a number of legally contentious initiatives such as the White House ballroom, the 250-foot triumphal arch and the installation of permanent fencing on Pennsylvania Avenue.”
In early April, Trump published an item to his social media platform that began, “I would like to thank the hardworking Commissioners and Staff of the National Capital Planning Commission, who just voted overwhelmingly, 8-1, to approve the magnificent White House Ballroom now rising on this Hallowed Ground.” Two months later, he wrote a separate item that began, “A very big THANK YOU to the National Capital Planning Commission on the 8-1 approval of the Great Triumphal Arch to be built at the base of the Arlington Memorial Bridge.”
It’s a safe bet we can expect to see additional missives like these in the coming weeks and months.
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