The administrative stay gives the court more time to weigh an emergency appeal by the Trump administration in a lawsuit challenging the project.
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Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Friday allowed work to continue on the White House ballroom in the short term, issuing a stay that gives the court time to weigh an emergency appeal in a lawsuit challenging the project.
The action pauses a Friday deadline imposed by an appeals court to halt construction while the court challenge plays out. The appeals court concluded earlier this month that the controversial 90,000-square-foot addition to the executive mansion probably requires congressional approval to continue.
It’s unclear how long Roberts’s administrative stay will last, but typically such holds remain in effect for a few days to give the court time to fully consider the underlying appeal.
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to immediately block that decision, arguing that ballroom construction must go on for the safety of the president and national security.
The ballroom construction is intertwined with work on a five-story underground military complex that will feature shelters, a hospital and more to protect the president and senior officials in an emergency, the administration said in court filings. The overall project is expected to have a price tag of more than $400 million.
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Administration officials said the ballroom, which will be hardened with missile-resistant columns and a drone-proof roof, will act as a shield for the military complex and the rest of the White House more generally.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to stop construction, arguing that Trump exceeded his authority in launching the project, which would be the biggest expansion of the White House in decades.
That argument prevailed in lower courts, which have twice ordered the White House to pause work on the ballroom while allowing construction of the underground complex to continue. But amid legal machinations, those orders have yet to take effect, allowing the administration to race forward with building.
The National Trust has questioned the administration’s claim that the entire project is needed for national security reasons and highlighted concerns about the ballroom’s impacts on the White House’s sight lines and historic character.
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This is a developing story. It will be updated.
