A wide-ranging spending package moving through Congress sets aside $40 million for former President Donald Trump’s proposed National Garden of American Heroes, a statuary park he first announced during his 2020 re-election campaign and revived by executive order earlier this year. The provision would authorize federal funds to acquire land, commission statues and cover initial construction costs for the monument, intended to honor prominent figures from U.S. history. Backers of the project say private donor Tim Mellon, a longtime supporter of Trump, could ultimately reimburse the government for some or all of the expenses, though the legislation itself allocates taxpayer money up front. The garden language surfaced in the so-called “megabill,” an omnibus measure that consolidates multiple appropriations priorities ahead of the new fiscal year. Its inclusion has drawn scrutiny from budget hawks who question the need for earmarking tens of millions of dollars for a project that still lacks a definitive site, governing board and detailed design.