January 30, 2026 7:00 a.m.
On Thursday, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat overseeing funding for the National Park Service and Maryland Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, Vice Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced the Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act.
A release said the legislation would explicitly prohibit the National Park Service from issuing America the Beautiful Passes- physical or digital, with the image or likeness of any living political figures. The bill is a response to the Trump Administration placing President Trump’s face on America the Beautiful Passes in January of this year.
Merkley said, “President Trump slapping his face on annual park passes is an authoritarian gesture worthy of a king or dictator. He’s hijacking our beloved public treasures for shameless, un-American self-promotion”. Merkley said, “The non-partisan National Park Service serves all Americans, but Trump once again has unnecessarily politicized government services while potentially breaking the law as well. We must ensure our beloved national treasures remain well-maintained and free of partisan propaganda for generations to come”.
The America the Beautiful Park Pass was first authorized under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 to modernize and standardize entry passes for all federally managed lands across the country, including national parks, national monuments, national forests and more. Since its creation, the passes have never featured the image or likeness of any living political figure. However on January 1st, the Department of the Interior began issuing America the Beautiful Passes that included an image of President Trump.
The bill is supported by the Center for Biological Diversity, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund and the Wilderness Society.
Earlier this month, Senator Merkley led his colleagues in sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration’s so-called “modernization” plans for national park access, including several initiatives Merkley believes are partisan and polarizing and undermine the spirit of public lands for all.
The legislation is co-sponsored by eighteen other members of Congress.