Overview
- The National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees federal projects in Washington, approved the White House ballroom plan in an 8-1 vote Thursday.
- A federal judge on Tuesday ordered non‑security construction to stop unless Congress authorizes the project, then stayed the order for 14 days as the Justice Department appealed.
- Commissioners said the ruling pauses building work but not planning, and chair Will Scharf told the meeting the injunction did not bar their vote.
- The proposal calls for a 90,000‑square‑foot, roughly $400 million addition funded by private donations, while public money is paying for underground security upgrades.
- Public comments ran heavily against the plan after the East Wing was demolished, and the project’s fate now hinges on the courts or explicit action by Congress.