Trump Files Emergency Appeal To The Supreme Court

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Friday that construction cannot continue without authorization from Congress, siding with a historic preservation group that challenged the project in court.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether President Trump can move forward with construction of his proposed White House ballroom after a federal appeals court ordered most of the project to stop.

The appeals court temporarily paused its ruling for two weeks, giving the Trump administration time to ask the Supreme Court to intervene before the order takes effect.

At the center of the dispute is whether the president has the authority to proceed with a major construction project at the White House using privately raised funds or whether congressional approval is required.

In its opinion, the appeals court concluded that the decision rests with Congress, not the executive branch acting on its own.

“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the court wrote.

Trump has already vowed to appeal the ruling, setting up a potential Supreme Court showdown that could determine the future of one of the most ambitious renovation projects undertaken at the White House in decades.