Lawmakers, advocates to rally over planned East Potomac Park closure
Nov 11, 2026
Calls to save East Potomac Park growing louder now
as a coalition of D.C. lawmakers
and park users are now headed across town to Capitol Hill.
Let's check in with our Melanie Olmick live
in the district with the latest details.
Mel, good morning.
Good morning. So it is Lobby Day on Capitol Hill tomorrow,
and that is where those groups plan to
be because they're gathering to try to get
a coalition together to get lawmakers involved
in this. Time is ticking down at East Potomac Golf Course because,
as we know, President Trump
had posted that he wants to close the course on November 15th.
But here's an interesting twist.
With this rally, the local leaders are asking members
of Congress not to approve some funding
for the park. Now,
the Park Service says that it has to close all of East Potomac Park,
the golf course, Ohio Drive and Haines Point
because the seawall is unsafe on the west side
seen here. Parts of it are being inundated by the Potomac.
Opponents say Ohio Drive itself.
And the park, not impacted by the seawall.
And the closure is just a pretext to start work
on the Washington National Golf Course
Redevelopment Plan.
On Capitol Hill, there is a vote teed up
on supplemental funding requests.
Now, it includes $500 million for the Department
of the Interior for its construction account.
Some of that money, the department says,
will be used to repair the seawall.
But park advocates and D.C. elected officials
are going to press members of Congress not
to approve it.
They want clear rules that the money
can only be used to repair the seawall.
for the seawall and cannot be diverted
to President Trump's redevelopment
of Haines Point for his championship golf course. Now.
We also know that there are several ongoing lawsuits.
One temporary restraining order is already in place
that prevents the cutting down of any more trees
or any irreparable work that's going on.
The judge just expanded that order
to cover all of the Haines Point Peninsula.
Meanwhile, the people that are suing,
they also have asked the judge
for a temporary restraining order
to stop the government from closing off
all of Hains Point and East Potomac Park.
As we mentioned, that closure planned for November 15th.
The judge on Friday is going to rule
on that request for a temporary restraining order.