Reversal: D.C. Circuit blocks White House ballroom construction

A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit voted 2-1 to block continued construction of the White House ballroom absent authorization from Congress. The decision upholds a district court order that stops above-ground work while allowing underground security construction to continue, and it is stayed for 14 days to allow an appeal. Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia formed the majority; Judge Neomi Rao dissented.

The ruling rests on Congress’s control over federal property and funding and finds no statute that lets a president demolish and rebuild part of the White House on his own. There is no known instance of a president unilaterally tearing down taxpayer-funded portions of the mansion and rebuilding them with private donations. The decision does not foreclose a ballroom in the long run, but bars work during the case unless Congress approves it.

Rao argued the preservation group that sued lacked standing and called the injunction judicial overreach. Trump said he will take the case to the Supreme Court and framed a halt as a security risk tied to a planned bunker, but the orders leave underground work in place. The administration also asked Congress for $1 billion for the project this spring, a request lawmakers rejected, even as Trump has said private donors would cover the cost.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources