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Commission Votes to Approve White House Ballroom While Federal Judge Orders Construction Halted
This week U.S District Judge Richard Leon ordered the Trump Administration to pause construction on their new White House ballroom absent authorization from Congress. The federal judge granted the National Trust for Historic Preservation's request for a preliminary injunction saying the National Trust was likely to succeed because "no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have". In his decision Judge Leon wrote "The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!".
The ruling suspended enforcement for 14 days, acknowledging the complexities of halting an ongoing construction project, and allowed for construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House. As expected, the Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling.
Later in the week, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the agency tasked with approving construction on federal property, gave final approval of the White House ballroom project. The NCPC voted in favor of the project in spite of more than 32,000 public comments, a record, being submitted with 98% of the comments opposing the ballroom plans. Before the vote the NCPC also considered additional design changes. The vote comes after the U.S Commission of Fine Arts already voted to approve the project last month. Prior to the votes, President Trump appointed several allies and supporters to both commissions.
Despite the NCPC vote, the judge's ruling and ongoing legal fight could stall progress on the project and potentially see Congress, which has largely stayed out of it up to this point, get involved. Carol Quillen, CEO and President of the National Trust said in a statement in response to the ruling "This is win for the American people on a project that forever impacts one of the most beloved and and iconic places in our nation".
The judge's ruling is a win for the preservation community and the nation. We commend the work of our partners at the National Trust Historic Preservation.
Learn More: https://savingplaces.org/white-house
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