Sawt Falasteen - Trump's big arch approved by ally-controlled board

The Commission of Fine Arts, whose board was fired last year and replaced by White House picks, voted 4-0 to approve the planned 250-foot (76-meter) arch, which includes large golden statues of an angel and eagles on top.

The arch, which Trump hopes to build just outside Arlington National Cemetery, is one of several major construction projects the 79-year-old billionaire is avidly pursuing to leave his mark on the US capital.

Trump says the arch will be the largest in the world, taller than the 164-foot Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

However, like with his White House ballroom project -- which has already seen the historic East Wing torn down -- Trump has stirred controversy by not seeking congressional input for such a major change to the US capital.

"We're doing it... we don't need anything from Congress," Trump told reporters when asked about the issue Thursday.

Several groups, including Vietnam War veterans, have also sued to block the project, arguing it has not followed proper procedure and would disrupt the view from Arlington National Cemetery.

The cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington, where hundreds of thousands of American veterans are buried, is considered one of the most hallowed sites in the country.

The Commission of Fine Arts was established by Congress in 1910 and is made up of architects and urban planners. It gives advice on design and preservation in Washington -- focusing on government buildings and monuments in the strictly managed area.

Another panel overseeing construction projects that is similarly controlled by Trump allies is set to review the proposal on June 4.

Y.Zaher--SF-PST