With 100 days to go until the nation's 250th birthday, a commission set up by Congress to organize the celebrations is reasserting itself after several months in the shadows of a separate White House planning group. The commission, known as America250, this week unveiled plans for a series of nationwide events intended to bring together 350 million Americans to commemorate the 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 — "350 for 250" as Chair Rosie Rios put it. "What really inspired this commission were three words that we used as we developed this programming: educate, engage and unite," said Rios, the former U.S. treasurer in the Obama administration who has led the organization for the past four years of its 10-year existence. Among the plans are programs focused on volunteerism, charitable giving, entrepreneurism, patriotism, culture and, above all, the democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution, Rios said. "This commission has laid out the foundation for what promises to be the largest and most inspiring celebration and commemoration in our nation's history," she said. "No one has ever made the grand declaration that they could engage and inspire 350 million Americans in anything. But we are doing just that." The announcement of the "semiquincentennial" plans was made at a news conference in the newly renovated White House Visitor Center, a clear attempt to show that America250 is not in competition with the Trump administration for control of the birthday planning. "We represent all three branches of government," said Rios, noting that she serves as commission chair at the discretion of the president. "We've made it very clear that these are parallel paths that we are taking, and that we are taking the 'sea to shining sea' approach." In other words, as Rios said in a December interview with Roll Call, President Donald Trump has the reins for events in Washington, D.C., while the commission’s plans, laid out in a 65-page “playbook,” take place throughout the country. There has been some confusion about who was leading the planning since January 2025, when Trump established a task force to lead federal agency efforts to celebrate the 250th birthday, which Rios said she had recommended to the White House staff. But then Trump followed up in December by creating a public-private partnership called Freedom 250 that he said "connects, aligns, and amplifies national and local efforts to deliver the defining presidential moments of this anniversary year." Democrats and others have accused Trump of using the nation's birthday to celebrate himself and raise money for his administration. Funding questions America250 has received nearly $80 million from Congress since fiscal 2019, including $15 million in each of the past four years, according to the group's latest annual report, and the Republican budget reconciliation law known as the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" allocated $150 million for the semiquincentennial. Only $25 million of that reconciliation total has gone to the congressional commission so far, according to published reports. A dozen Senate Democrats led by Adam B. Schiff of California wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum earlier this month demanding a full accounting of how the reconciliation funds are being spent, and two watchdog groups, Public Citizen and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, have called for investigations. Kellyanne Conway, a longtime Trump adviser who is on the America250 commission, insisted there is no conflict between the White House plans and the congressional group's efforts. "This is a great collaboration," Conway said at the America250 news conference. "We have full alignment around a shared goal of making this the biggest and most inspirational moment, or at least one of them in our nation's young but inspiring and very robust history." Rios did not discuss funding issues at her news conference on Tuesday, but did express support for the administration's efforts, including its plans for a "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall this summer and the parade and fireworks on July 4. She did not mention Trump's plans to hold an Ultimate Fighting Championship at the White House on June 14 and a "Freedom 250 Grand Prix" auto race on the streets of Washington in August, both of which have been criticized as outside the focus of the 250th birthday celebration. Among the programs planned this year by America250, according to Rios: America Gives: "We are making 2026 the largest year of volunteer hours ever recorded by our country,” Rios said. America’s Field Trip: Now in its third year, a contest for students in grades 3-12 where winners go on visits to historical and cultural sites. Our American Story: A national effort to compile oral and visual stories from Americans and offered to media outlets. America Innovates: A competition for young Americans with entrepreneurial ideas. America Waves: Providing American flags so "all of us as a country can reclaim our patriotism." America's Soundtrack: Celebration of 250 years of American music led by Emilio Estefan, a member of the Miami Sound Machine and the husband of singer Gloria Estefan. America's Ultimate Block Party: Connecting July Fourth celebrations across the country and anchored in Los Angeles to serve as "a bridge" to the 2028 Summer Olympics. Rios said there also will be America250 events at the Summerfest in Milwaukee, which features more than 600 artists over nine days between June 18 and July 4; a New York City "ball drop" on July 3; at the World Cup competition in North America that runs from June 11 to July 19; and a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
