A federal appeals court on Saturday allowed work on a proposed White House ballroom to continue through April 17 while the Trump administration appeals a lower-court order that had directed construction to stop for lack of congressional approval. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued the stay in a 2-1 decision, temporarily pausing U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s March order that construction must halt by April 14 “until Congress authorizes its completion.” The stay gives the administration time to seek Supreme Court review as the district court proceedings continue.
The project would replace the East Wing with a new neoclassical ballroom expected to seat roughly 1,000 guests and to cost at least $300 million. Demolition of the East Wing began in October to clear space for the new construction.
Administration officials and the president have defended the work, saying the ballroom is needed for large events and raising national security arguments tied to the site. They have described planned military-grade construction beneath the ballroom — including upgraded, “high-grade bulletproof” protections — as measures to protect an underground facility from threats such as unmanned aerial systems.
The plan received approval in February from the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal review body whose membership includes a majority of presidential appointees. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December seeking to block the project, arguing that the work threatens the historic character of the White House complex and that broader consultation was required.
Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust, said Saturday the group was not alarmed that construction would continue for a few additional days and appreciated the court’s swift handling of the matter. She reiterated the Trust’s commitment to safeguarding the White House’s historic significance and to pursuing more extensive consultation, which the organization says yields better outcomes.
The Trump administration did not respond to requests for comment on the appeals court ruling. NPR’s Chloe Veltman contributed reporting to this story.