A federal court of appeals is allowing construction to proceed for President Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, temporarily extending a lower court order.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled Saturday that construction on the project can continue until at least Friday.
On the appeals court composition, Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia formed the majority opinion, while Judge Neomi Rao — a Trump appointee — issued a dissent. Judges Millett and Garcia were appointed by former Presidents Obama and Biden, respectively.
A lower court’s March 31 ruling barred work from proceeding without approval from Congress but suspended enforcement for 14 days. The appeals court extended that stay for three days, to April 17, in a 2-1 vote.
The lower court’s injunction to halt ballroom construction until the White House obtains congressional approval also paused that injunction to allow for an appeal.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, the President George W. Bush appointee who issued the injunction, concluded that “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.” He said that construction could resume if Congress explicitly approves the project or authorizes funding, emphasizing that lawmakers retain authority over federal property and spending.
The three-judge panel ruling also asked the district court to clarify how the earlier ruling “will ensure safety and security pending litigation.”
In its order issued Saturday, the judges wrote that “it remains unclear whether and to what extent the development of certain aspects of the proposed ballroom is necessary to ensure the safety and security of those below-ground national security upgrades, or otherwise to ensure the safety of the White House and its occupants while the appeal proceeds.”
The Trump administration argued that the injunction left the White House “open and exposed” and created “grave national-security harms” to the building, the president and his family and staff.
Mr. Trump’s $400 million project would replace the demolished East Wing with a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
