A US federal appeals court on Friday ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of a proposed $400 million ballroom on the site of the demolished White House East Wing, ruling that such a major redevelopment requires congressional approval.
In a 2-1 decision, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction obtained by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the project after the administration demolished the East Wing and began construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
The court’s majority said decisions involving such a substantial alteration of the White House fall within the authority of Congress, rejecting the administration’s argument that the executive branch could proceed independently.
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the judges wrote.
The court said Congress had not granted the executive branch unrestricted authority to dramatically redesign or reconstruct the White House, which it described as the “People’s House.”
However, the appeals court paused enforcement of its ruling for 14 days, giving the administration time to seek review by the US Supreme Court.
The White House and Justice Department had not immediately commented on the ruling.