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... Meanwhile, the Trump administration is redirecting tens of millions of dollars from fees paid to the NPS to fund "President Trump's vanity projects" in Washington, say House and Senate Democrats, citing reports and information revealed to Congress. ...

Trump has undertaken various projects in Washington, D.C., and the White House, including repair of water fountains in Lafayette Square, the East Wing Ballroom and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Many of these projects have drawn criticism for a variety of reasons, including not seeking congressional approval and awarding no-bid contracts.

An analysis of federal contract data by USA TODAY found that 20 days before Trump first announced the renovation of the reflecting pool, the government had already committed $8.5 million to fix the pool, even though the president said it would cost $2 million.

Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004, at least 80% of the entrance fees paid onsite must be retained and used at the national park where the fees are collected. The remaining 20% can be used to improve parks that don't charge entrance fees.

In addition, Democratic lawmakers also assert that the revenue from the sale of digital "America the Beautiful Passes" appears to be funding some of these projects "without any guardrails or transparency." ...