Overview
- The Department of Justice filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday asking judges to allow above‑ground work on the East Wing ballroom to resume at once.
- A federal appeals court last week barred above‑ground construction until Congress authorizes the project but stayed that order for 14 days to give the administration time to appeal.
- Lower courts have allowed construction of a subterranean security bunker to continue while they block the visible portions of the ballroom.
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop the project, arguing Congress never gave the president unchecked authority to redevelop the White House; the administration says Congress authorized ‘modifications’ and estimates the project at about $400 million and 89,000 square feet.
- New design drawings filed with the Supreme Court show ornate exterior features such as large gilded presidential seals and Corinthian stone columns that sources say could require review by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission and raise broader questions about executive control of federal property.