Appeals court blocks construction of Trump's White House ballroom

A federal appeals court has blocked the construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House, citing the need for congressional approval. The court ruled that the project, championed by President Donald Trump, requires approval from Congress and cannot be undertaken by the Executive Branch alone.

The three-judge panel, in a 2-1 decision, stated that the President has no constitutionally assigned authority over the White House property, which is designed for the use of all Presidents and the American people. The court's majority opinion emphasized that Congress has not ceded unfettered authority to the Executive Branch to redesign, reshape, and reconstruct the White House.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation had sued the administration after the East Wing was demolished last year to begin the project without congressional approval. The appeals court's order upholds a preliminary injunction and allows for a potential Supreme Court showdown on appeal, with the ruling currently on hold for 14 days to permit an appeal.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBS News, The Hill, BBC News, France 24, Live Mint — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — read the original for the full account.