A federal judge has halted construction of a giant ballroom at the White House. Trump’s project for hundreds of millions of dollars must now be reviewed by the US Congress.
A US federal judge on Tuesday ordered the administration of US President Donald Trump to suspend construction of the White House Ballroom until it is eventually approved by the US Congress. It was reported by the AP agency, writes TASR.
Last October, Trump had the entire East Wing of the White House demolished to make way for a huge ballroom designed to host formal events and state dinners. In addition, the US Army is to build a large complex under the hall with an area of 8,400 square meters as an emergency bunker for the president.
The judge suspended the construction
Washington District Court Judge Richard Leon, who was nominated to the post by Republican President George W. Bush, ruled in favor of the preservationists’ request to issue a preliminary injunction temporarily suspending the construction of the Trump project.
The nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a lawsuit against the construction pending multiple independent reviews and congressional approval.
“I have come to the conclusion that the National Trust has a strong chance of succeeding on the merits because no law comes close to giving the president the powers it claims to have,” the judge wrote in the ruling. According to him, the US president is the steward of the White House for future generations, but not its owner.
The verdict will take effect in 14 days, so that the opposing party has time to file an appeal.
Rising project costs
The ballroom is one of the most ambitious projects in the White House in more than 100 years and is being expanded thanks to its privately funded budget, which has already doubled from $200 million to $400 million. After completion, according to Trump, it can accommodate up to 999 people.
The demolition of the east wing of the US presidential residence has drawn criticism from lawmakers, historians and preservationists. Above all, they object that it was decided without assessment by federal authorities and without public debate.
