A federal appeals court blocked President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom in a 2-1 vote on Aug. 7, saying that above-ground construction could not proceed without Congressional approval.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel affirmed U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon's ruling on March 31 saying that no work can proceed "absent express authorization from Congress." That ruling had been put on hold by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in April as it reviewed the case.
The court said it would stay the ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately
collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for. Until now,” wrote Judge Patricia Millett and Judge Brad Garcia in their opinion.
The Trump administration has argued that the entire ballroom construction needs to proceed or it would leave the Executive Mansion "open and exposed" and create "grave national-security harms" to the building, the president and his family and staff.
The ruling allows for all “below-ground construction, including construction of bunkers, bomb-shelters, and military and medical infrastructure, as well as above-ground construction “strictly necessary to cover, secure, and protect” such facilities.”
Last October, Trump bulldozed the East Wing to begin construction on a 90,000 square-foot ballroom paid for by private funds.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the administration in December to block construction, alleging it had not gone through a legally mandated review process.
On Friday, the National Trust's CEO Brent Leggs celebrated the decision.
“This decision is particularly meaningful as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and advocate for renewed protections for historic preservation,” he said. “The White House, a global landmark that symbolizes American identity and the ideals of democracy, belongs to the American people.”
Two days before Leon's ruling in March, Trump said an important part of the ballroom he's building for the White House is a "massive military complex" underneath it that was supposed to remain secret. He blamed the lawsuit for exposing the secret.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Appeals court blocks Trump's ballroom, says Congressional approval needed
