Celebrating America's 250th Birthday
The order establishes a White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday, chaired by the President, to plan and execute events marking the 250th anniversary of American independence on July 4, 2026.
It also reinstates three Trump-era executive orders revoked in 2021 — two creating the National Garden of American Heroes and one protecting public monuments from vandalism — expanding the garden's target roster to 250 historically significant Americans.
What this order does
What it orders
The order establishes Task Force 250, a White House task force chaired by the President with the Vice President as Vice Chair, to coordinate a national celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence. The Department of Defense is designated as the administrative home and must provide funding and staff support. All participating agencies are directed to submit planning reports to the Task Force's Executive Director by March 1, 2025. The Task Force is set to terminate on December 31, 2026, unless the President extends it.
The order also reinstates three executive orders that had been revoked by EO 14029 in May 2021: EO 13934 and EO 13978, which established the National Garden of American Heroes, and EO 13933, which directed federal enforcement against vandalism of public monuments. The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy is directed to recommend additional historically significant Americans for inclusion in the Garden, bringing the total to 250 honorees. The deadline for completing the Garden is changed from "before July 4, 2026" to "as expeditiously as possible."
Who it affects
Federal departments and agencies represented on Task Force 250, including Defense, State, Treasury, Interior, Agriculture, HUD, and Education, as well as the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, and Institute of Museum and Library Services. The United States Semiquincentennial Commission is also drawn into coordination.
Why it matters
Federal agencies must reallocate planning resources and submit reports by March 1, 2025. The reinstatement of the monument protection order restores federal enforcement priorities around vandalism of public statues and memorials, with implications for federal officers policing those sites.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
Task Force 250 is housed administratively at the Department of Defense, which supplies funding subject to available appropriations. An Executive Director appointed by the President handles day-to-day operations and reports through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. Agencies submit planning reports to the Executive Director by March 1, 2025; the Task Force then coordinates and directs agency activities through to the anniversary. The task force sunsets December 31, 2026, unless the President acts to extend it.
Actions and deadlines
- Submit agency reports on 250th anniversary planning activities to the Executive Director of Task Force 250
- Recommend additional historically significant Americans for the National Garden of American Heroes to reach 250 total honorees
- Task Force 250 terminates unless extended by the President