Overview
- Congress approved $40 million for the NEH statue program, with funds available through fiscal 2028 to procure life-size figures
- An April NEH grant notice requires 250 marble, granite, bronze, copper or brass statues to be designed, sculpted and delivered by June 1, 2026
- White House spokesman Davis Ingle confirmed an informal goal to complete the garden by the end of President Trump’s second term, potentially extending the timeline to 2029
- The garden’s site remains undecided, complicating plans for installation and raising questions about regional opposition and environmental suitability
- NEH restructured its operations this spring—cutting other grants and two-thirds of its staff—to prioritize fulfilling the statue-making competition