**Appeals court blocks construction of White House ballroom**
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed $400 million White House ballroom must stop because the project requires congressional approval.
Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia wrote that each president is only a temporary tenant of the White House and has no independent constitutional authority over the Executive Residence. They concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued to halt the work, showed that only Congress can authorize major changes to the historic structure and that it never delegated that power to the president.
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the majority stated. The ruling does not decide whether the ballroom is good policy; it simply holds that the administration cannot proceed during the ongoing litigation without obtaining Congress’s authorization as required by the Constitution and federal law.
President Trump said on social media that he would immediately appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The ruling itself does not take effect for two weeks, giving the administration time to seek further review.
Judge Neomi Rao dissented. She argued that the National Trust lacked standing to bring the lawsuit and that the president likely has authority to make improvements to the Executive Residence. Rao also contended that stopping the work would harm national security by leaving an open construction site at the president’s home and office for a longer period.
The White House announced the 90,000-square-foot ballroom project last July. Demolition of the East Wing began abruptly in late October. The appeals court acknowledged security concerns connected to the East Wing work but said those concerns do not create an automatic exemption from the law. The majority emphasized that Congress, not the executive branch acting alone, is responsible for ensuring that major construction and security projects at the White House protect current and future presidents while preserving the building’s historical and architectural character.
Even if the Supreme Court ultimately sides against the administration, existing court orders already allow below-ground national-security construction, work necessary for presidential security, and measures to protect the White House and the construction site itself.
