Overview
- The National Capital Planning Commission approved the project, a planning step that covers design and site but does not permit work to start.
- The vote followed a judge's order stopping construction for lack of congressional authorization, and the administration has already filed an appeal.
- The project is described as a roughly $400 million hall of more than 8,000 square meters with space for about 1,000 guests after partial demolition of the East Wing had already begun.
- The White House says private donations will pay for the work with no taxpayer money, and critics fault the absence of donor lists or detailed financing records.
- Preservation groups and thousands of public comments oppose the scale and placement, and the Secret Service has warned that sudden shutdowns could disrupt protective routines.