Ramps to Help Ducks in and out of the Capitol Reflecting Pool Make a Big Splash

Joanne Pierce broke the news yesterday on a headline-grabbing new infrastructure project recently completed in Washington, D.C.: the installation of new ramps to help ducks in and out of the Capitol Reflecting Pool at Union Square.

"The duck ramps are painted in bright white and easily noticeable. They also say, 'Duck Ramp' on them, so humans and ducks alike know who should use the ramps. No word on whether pigeons and squirrels are offended," writes Pierce with the appropriate amount of tongue-in-cheek to explain the development.

An article by Liam Stack takes the snark a step further—pretending for a moment that the story is evidence of another Trump Administration scandal. After revealing the real nature of the story ("This is a story about ducks."), Stack puts the spotlight on Representative Mark Walker, Republican of North Carolina, who took to Twitter earlier this week to say the ramps are examples of government waste.

If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it must be government waste. pic.twitter.com/JKgabZ47O5

— Rep. Mark Walker (@RepMarkWalker) May 15, 2017

Meanwhile, the Architect of the Capitol, which installed the ramps, tweeted a video that showed ducklings using the ramp. Stack includes a series of responses to Rep. Walker's take on the ramps.

Capitol Reflecting Pool has been a popular attraction—for ducks +humans! NEW: 2 ramps to safely assist ducks in/out: https://t.co/IRHGHmwQ5T pic.twitter.com/bPFWQsMXAW

— U.S. Capitol (@uscapitol) May 15, 2017

There was also more than one person on Twitter linking the duck ramps to the Trump Administration's long-promised, expected-soon, $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

So far the only effective Federal infrastructure project of Trump's term: https://t.co/mSJBnLUYIh

— Michael Shapiro (@mpshapiro) May 16, 2017