Preservationists finished unveiling it three years ago and now americans are sipping the president s whiskey once again. the closest you can come to drinking like it s 17 the 99. these days, it sells for about $90 for a bottle that fits in the palm of my hand. in 1799, general washington sold his whiskey for about $0.50 for a whole gallon. there was strong demand for washington s whiskey. he once wrote his nephew urging him to stop by and pick up a few gallons but the sooner the better, he wrote. because demand in these parts is brisk. this is an enjoyable libation but, of course, it needs to be consumed in an orderly and if you will allow me, soberly manner. a wise fourth of july message. even 211 years later. in mount vernon, virginia, rich edson, fox business. jon scott in for shepard smith tonight.
Powerful federal preservationists, potentially derailing the whole thing. we re looking at a way to essentially get the best of both worlds. we want a sustainable, modern transportation system with the street cars, but also looking at ways of protecting important views of places like the white house. why are views important? i think they re iconic, important to the american people. i think it says a lot about the city and how far we ve come. reporter: gabe klein is the district s transportation boss. he s pushing ahead with the plans. higher and better use for this would be a streetcar maintenance facility as it s literally 50 feet from union station. reporter: that s what it will be? that s exactly what it will become. reporter: klein is now floating a compromise, a hybrid streetcar, drawing hybrid power in some spots, but running on battery in others. i think you ve got to balance the need to keep a wide-open vista with the need for transportation options and a cl
We have a mass transit system, but it s really for commuters. street cars connects neighborhoods. reporter: how could you argue with that right? well, the $1.5 billion plan isn t winning over everyone. the system will require overhead wires to power the street cars. and in a city known for it s monuments, that s an eyesore to powerful federal preservationists, potentially derailing the wohl thing. so we re looking at a way to essentially get the best of both worlds. we want a sustainable system for the street cars but ways to protect the white house. reporter: why are they important? i think they re iconic to the american people. i think it says a lot about the city and how far we ve come. reporter: dave klein is the city s transportation boss and he s pushing ahead the plans. the higher and better use for