Thu Jul 03 12:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Senate to Vote on Spending Bill Including $40 Million for National Garden of American Heroes

**Washington, D.C.** – The U.S. Senate is set to vote today on a sweeping spending bill proposed by the Trump administration that includes a controversial $40 million allocation for the National Garden of American Heroes. This initiative, a pet project of the former president intended to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, would fund the creation of life-size statues of 250 historical figures.

The funds, earmarked for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in fiscal year 2025 and available through 2028, are intended to support the production of statues made from durable materials like marble, granite, bronze, copper, or brass. Artists selected for the project will receive awards of up to $200,000 per statue, which, according to previous directives, must be “realistic” in style, eschewing modern or abstract designs.

Executive Order 13978 previously released a list of 244 potential figures to be honored, ranging from foundational figures like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to cultural icons like Kobe Bryant, Julia Child, and Alex Trebek, as well as notable artists like Ansel Adams and Frank Lloyd Wright.

However, the legislation has faced fierce criticism. Opponents highlight its disproportionate tax benefits for the wealthiest Americans, significant cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, substantial increases in funding for immigration and customs enforcement, and other policy changes. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the proposed bill would add $3.3 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade.

Furthermore, the $40 million allocation for the sculpture garden raises questions about funding priorities. As previously reported by ARTnews, the garden will be funded by federal grants initially distributed to arts and cultural groups across the US, but canceled by the Trump administration. These included the NEH Fellowships and Awards for Faculty, worth $60,000. Critics argue that redirecting funds from existing arts programs to this project is detrimental to the broader arts community. For context, the total budget for the NEA was $210.1 million and for the NEH it was $200.1 million for the fiscal year 2025.

The future of the National Garden of American Heroes now rests in the hands of the Senate as they prepare to vote on the controversial spending bill. The outcome will determine not only the fate of this ambitious sculpture project but also the direction of federal spending on the arts and humanities.

[News of the $40 million allocation was initially reported by Talking Points Memo.]

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