A coalition of Democratic senators has formally requested that the State Department cease the production of limited-edition passports featuring the image of President Donald Trump.

一群民主黨參議員已正式要求國務院停止製作印有川普總統圖像的限量版護照。

The current controversy centers on a State Department initiative to issue commemorative passports for the United States semiquincentennial, which include the President's likeness superimposed over the Declaration of Independence. In a communication addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Jeff Merkley and several colleagues asserted that such a measure deviates from historical precedent and possesses anti-democratic implications. The signatories further contended that the practice of equating national identity with a sitting executive is absent even in autocratic regimes, thereby risking the politicization of a primary national identification document.

目前的爭議集中在國務院的一項倡議，即為美國建國兩百五十週年發行紀念護照，其中將總統的肖像疊加在《獨立宣言》之上。參議員 Jeff Merkley 與幾位同事在致國務卿 Marco Rubio 的信函中聲明，此舉違背了歷史先例，並具有反民主的意味。簽署人進一步主張，將國家認同感與現任行政首長等同視之的做法，即使在專制政權中也罕見，因此面臨將主要國家身份證明文件政治化的風險。

This initiative exists within a broader pattern of institutional branding efforts supported by the administration and congressional allies. Current implementations include the placement of the President's image on 'America the Beautiful' national park passes and the installation of likeness-bearing banners on the facades of the Departments of Justice, Agriculture, and Labor. Furthermore, the Treasury Department has announced the unprecedented addition of the President's signature to paper currency, a move Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized as a recognition of historic economic achievements. Additional proposals under consideration include the modification of Mount Rushmore, the renaming of Dulles International Airport, and the establishment of a national holiday coinciding with the President's birth date.

此項倡議屬於政府及其國會盟友支持的更廣泛制度化品牌塑造努力的一部分。目前的執行方案包括在「美麗的美國」國家公園通行證上放置總統圖像，以及在司法部、農業部和勞工部的建築外牆安裝帶有肖像的橫幅。此外，財政部宣布將前所未有地在紙幣上加入總統簽名，財政部長 Scott Bessent 將此舉描述為對歷史性經濟成就的認可。其他正在考慮的提案包括修改總統山、重新命名杜勒斯國際機場，以及將總統生日定為國家法定假日。

Legislative efforts to mitigate these developments have been initiated by Democratic lawmakers. Previous attempts to obstruct the placement of the President's image on one-dollar coins and national park passes have been documented. The recent inquiry to Secretary Rubio specifically requests transparency regarding the fiscal expenditure associated with the passport project, the criteria utilized for design selection, and the availability of opt-out mechanisms for citizens.

民主黨立法者已啟動立法努力以緩解這些發展。此前已有記錄顯示，他們曾嘗試阻止在一美元硬幣和國家公園通行證上放置總統圖像。最近向 Rubio 國務卿的查詢中，特別要求公開護照項目的財政支出、設計選擇標準以及公民是否擁有選擇退出（opt-out）的機制。

The State Department's plan to issue commemorative passports remains a point of contention between the executive branch and Democratic legislators.

國務院發行紀念護照的計劃，仍是行政部門與民主黨立法者之間的爭議焦點。