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Pelosi Statement on the Trump Administration's Alcatraz Budget Request

April 3, 2026

San Francisco – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s request for $152 million to renovate and reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison:

“The Trump Administration’s budget proposal is absurd on its face and should be rejected outright. Rebuilding Alcatraz into a modern prison is a stupid notion that would be nothing more than a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to the intelligence of the American people.

“Alcatraz is a historic museum that belongs to the public, and San Franciscans will not stand for Washington turning one of our most iconic landmarks into a political prop. At a time when communities are demanding real investments in public safety, this Administration is pushing a cartoonish throwback that does nothing to address the challenges facing working families. I will work with my colleagues in the Congress to use every parliamentary and budgetary tactic available to block this lunacy.”