Spectators on the National Mall watch fireworks on July 4. The Trump administration has asked Congress for an additional $10 to pay for the fireworks show, the Great American State Fair and a prayer event on the mall. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption
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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
As costs for America’s birthday celebrations climb, the Trump administration is urging Congress to cover an additional $10 million for events at the National Mall, including the Great American State Fair and the July 4th fireworks.
This request was highlighted by Sen. Jeff Merkley from Oregon, the leading Democrat on the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. He addressed a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Wednesday, detailing his understanding of the situation and seeking further information.
“It is unacceptable to ask the American people to bail out Freedom 250,” Merkley stated, referring to the group established by President Trump last year to manage anniversary celebrations, allegedly bypassing an existing bipartisan committee.
Merkley explained that as part of a broader funding request last week, the Office of Management and Budget sought millions more for the National Park Service to recover costs linked to America’s Semiquincentennial celebrations.
Immediate questions arose regarding this funding, as the 250th anniversary has been a contentious topic for months. Merkley stated his office met with Interior Department staff to clarify the request.
Critics have accused Freedom 250 of distorting American history and politicizing the nation’s birthday celebrations, citing uneven state representation at the state fair and a predominantly conservative Christian prayer event in May. Democrats have questioned the costs of these events and accused Freedom 250 of misleading donors and selling access to President Trump to fund them, allegations the group denies.
Merkley reported that the Interior Department seeks $10 million to reimburse the National Park Service for costs incurred during the May prayer event, the two-week state fair, and Trump’s July Fourth speech and fireworks.
“According to your staff, these were routine costs for event support,” Merkley wrote to Burgum, indicating that National Park Service materials describe these costs as “U.S. Park Police costs, event monitoring costs, overtime for NPS employees, and repairing resource damages.”
Merkley noted that Congress had already allocated funds for this purpose. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of July 2025 — passed solely with Republican support — had provided $150 million in federal funds to the Interior Department for such events the previous year.
However, most of this money has been directed to Freedom 250 rather than America250, the bipartisan group established by Congress a decade ago for this purpose. House Democrats have accused Freedom 250 and the Trump administration of exploiting America’s milestone for political and financial gain.
Freedom 250 organized “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving” on D.C.’s National Mall in May. That was one of the events it says needed increased security. Graeme Sloan/Getty Images hide caption
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Graeme Sloan/Getty Images
Earlier this month, Democrats released a 55-page report accusing Freedom 250 of obscure and deceptive fundraising practices, suggesting they might constitute wire fraud. Watchdog groups, referencing public contracts, have also raised concerns about the group directing public funds to entities with links to the Trump administration.
Freedom 250 has firmly denied these allegations, dismissing the report as a “partisan smear.” The group stated to NPR that it “stepped in to rescue our nation’s 250th birthday from years of wasted time, wasted money, and failed planning.”
However, it has not disclosed its fundraising amounts or sources, allowing donors to remain anonymous. Its website lists some government and corporate sponsors, including Palantir, Exxon Mobil, Mastercard, and Boeing.
Merkley questioned Burgum on why the additional $10 million isn’t sourced from these private contributors instead.
“Our understanding from the administration was that taxpayer funds would contribute $150 million and private donations would contribute the balance of the funding,” Merkley wrote. “Given that understanding, what has gone wrong that has led to this additional request for taxpayer funds?”
The Interior Department informed NPR via email that the funding is intended to cover costs related to an “elevated security posture,” necessary due to “increased security threats against high-profile events in Washington, D.C.”
It referenced the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting in April, a foiled terrorist attack on the White House UFC fight, and numerous vandalism incidents at events, monuments, and memorials.
The Trump administration has consistently, without evidence, blamed vandals for—and charged one person with—damaging the new $14 million lining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The pool was drained following the July Fourth fireworks, weeks after parts of the lining peeled off and algae turned the water green. It’s one of the Trump administration’s controversial beautification and construction projects in the D.C. area, some linked to the 250th anniversary celebrations.
When contacted, Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez accused Democrats of “trying to make America’s 250th birthday about partisan politics.”
“Their divisive rhetoric forced Freedom 250 to increase security at these events, but we won’t let that stop us from honoring our country’s milestone,” Alvarez told NPR via email. “This is just another attempt to divide us, and it won’t work.”
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., who authored the report criticizing Freedom 250, described the request for additional funding as the “cherry on top of this corruption cake.”
The status of the funding request remains uncertain. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a moderate Republican chairing the subcommittee, did not respond to NPR’s request for comment. Merkley insists that Freedom 250 should bear the additional costs.
“The American people shouldn’t be on the hook for the Administration’s disastrous planning, and I’m demanding answers,” Merkley stated in an email to NPR.
He sent Burgum a list of five questions—covering past National Park Service expenses, expected costs, and information about Freedom 250 donors—requesting a response by the end of the following week.
Freedom 250 has additional anniversary events planned for August: the Patriot Games, a two-day national athletic competition for high schoolers, followed by an Indy car race near the National Mall.
