Detail of Ben Shahn mural at the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in Washington, DC (photo Carol M. Highsmith viaAs a heavily Trump-appointed council tries to loosen preservation safeguards, Democrats are spearheading the PRESERVE Act to protect publicly commissioned art. As President Donald Trump and his appointees escalate their legislative attacks against historic sites and the artworks housed within them, Democrats and preservationist groups are pushing for protective countermeasures. On July 24, the heavily Trump-appointed Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) advanced a proposal that could diminish legal protections of historic sites. The 16–5 vote approved revisions to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, a measure that mandates federal agencies to consider possible damages to historically significant sites before undertaking construction projects.