President Donald Trump thanked the Supreme Court after Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily allowed construction of the $400 million White House ballroom to continue while the justices consider the administration’s emergency appeal over whether Congress must approve the project.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump praised the Supreme Court on Friday after Chief Justice John Roberts issued an order allowing construction of the administration’s $400 million White House ballroom project to continue while the court considers a broader legal challenge.
“We are grateful for the Decision of the United States Supreme Court,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Roberts’ intervention came only hours before lower-court orders were scheduled to stop aboveground construction on the project.
The chief justice’s one-page order temporarily placed those rulings on hold and will remain in effect until the Supreme Court takes additional action. The order did not provide Roberts’ reasoning or establish a date for the court’s next decision.
Roberts handles emergency applications arising from cases filed in Washington, D.C., which is why the request initially came before him.
The dispute centers on whether the president can proceed with major changes to the White House complex without congressional authorization.
A Washington judge had ruled that construction could not continue without approval from Congress. The Trump administration appealed, arguing that the president possesses broad authority to modify the White House and other federal property.
Administration attorneys have also argued that the ballroom has national-security significance and should be completed for that reason.
Trump has described the project as the “Military/Ballroom Complex” and said it will be “THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND.”
He has also argued that the facility addresses needs that presidents and the military have sought to resolve for generations.
“It is something that Presidents have wanted for 150 years, and that the Military has been seeking for the last 100 years. Their wish will soon be fulfilled! Construction is under budget and ahead of schedule, ” Trump wrote.
Trump’s full statement is also available through the Truth Social post.
The administration’s emergency appeal asks the Supreme Court to allow the project to proceed while the underlying legal dispute continues.
The court’s action Friday does not amount to a final decision on whether Trump has the authority to complete the ballroom without congressional approval. Instead, it prevents the lower-court restriction from immediately stopping construction.
The Trump administration has prevailed in several cases considered through the Supreme Court’s emergency docket, although the justices have also rejected some administration policies after conducting full reviews on the merits.
Trump said the ballroom project is advancing both below budget and ahead of schedule as the administration seeks to keep construction moving during the litigation.
The project has been valued at approximately $400 million and is intended to provide the White House with a large permanent event facility while also incorporating features the administration says are related to national security.
Trump’s remarks Friday framed Roberts’ order as an important victory for a project he says has been sought by presidents for 150 years and by the military for a century.
For now, construction may continue while the Supreme Court weighs whether to grant the administration longer-term relief from the lower-court order.
A White House photograph by Joyce N. Boghosian has accompanied coverage of the project.
Original article
Comments