The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily allowed construction of Trump's ballroom to continue
The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to continue work on the $400 million White House ballroom. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts signed a temporary order on Friday suspending a court injunction that had halted a significant portion of the work, Al Jazeera English reports.
Roberts made this decision while the Supreme Court considers an emergency appeal from the Trump administration. Lower courts had ruled that the project required congressional approval, and their order to halt the work was set to take effect on Friday. The Chief Justice is hearing appeals in cases involving Washington, D.C.
In April, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered a halt to on-site construction of the ballroom. He emphasized that the president “does not own” the White House and that changes of this magnitude require congressional approval. At the same time, the judge provided an exception for necessary work if it ensures the safety and security of the White House.
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Subsequently, a majority of the three-judge appellate court panel upheld this injunction. Two judges noted that the issue of constructing a large ballroom should be decided by Congress, not the executive branch. The third judge, appointed by Trump, believed that the National Trust for Historic Preservation had no right to file the lawsuit and called the court injunction a clear abuse of discretionary power.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit against the construction in December. Representatives of the organization accused the White House of attempting to expedite the work despite court orders to suspend it. The Trump administration claims that 65% of the work has already been completed, and crews are working 20 hours a day, seven days a week. According to lawyers from the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately $200 million in private donations has already been spent or pledged for the project.
The Trump administration also claims that the ballroom is necessary for national security reasons. Work is underway beneath the future structure to create a multi-level bunker, where a hospital and military facilities are planned to be housed. The expected area of the new ballroom is approximately 8,400 square meters, which exceeds the size of the main White House building.
