Trump seeks national monument status for iconic White House rooms

Trump makes Oval Office a national monument

President Trump signed a proclamation Thursday seeking to designate two iconic White House spaces, the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, as national monuments.

Trump said Congress would have to ratify the proclamation , which would also make it so that no one could make “major modifications” to the rooms without congressional approval.

“It’s a symbol of our country and the greatness of our country,” Trump said of the Oval Office — where he announced the move to reporters.

“If anyone ever decides to come and start knocking down walls, you call me, and I will come back here, and I will make sure it never happens,” the president added.

Trump has made a number of changes to the White House campus throughout his second administration, most notably knocking down the East Wing to build an up to $400 million ballroom without congressional authorization. Despite legal challenges to the project, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled construction could proceed .

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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Thunderstorms caused record flooding overnight in twin towns straddling the Georgia-Tennessee border, submerging some buildings to their rooflines on Thursday as emergency responders rescued dozens of people.

A top leader in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement said he is willing to work with Democrats if they share his vision, after Republicans were trounced out of power in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

The virtual National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) meeting on Thursday to likely approve President Trump’s triumphal arch crashed after 90 minutes.

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics :

Babies more likely to have heart defects from Louisiana’s areas with industrial pollution, study finds ( The Guardian )

Old, Polluting Jet Engines Are Being Scavenged to Power Data Centers ( The New York Times )

A New York appeals panel questioned on Thursday whether presidential immunity or federal law bars President Trump’s criminal conviction stemming from a hush money payment made during his 2016 campaign to cover up an alleged affair. Read more

The Democrat in Mississippi’s Senate race expanded his narrow lead over the incumbent senator Wednesday, possibly giving Democrats yet another seat to pad their majority. Read more