US government defends White House ballroom as national security project

Donald Trump wears a gold medal from Olympic speedskater Jordan Stolz, on the same day when the ballroom hearing took place. Pic/PTI

Lawyers representing the US federal government argued that a court could not stop construction of a White House ballroom because it was already underway and because of the sensitive security concerns they say the structure is meant to address.

Attorney Yaakov Roth, speaking during an exchange with US Appeals Court Judge Patricia Millett, said only Congress could halt the $400-million project. The administration has been asking the court to allow it to press on with the ballroom without congressional approval.

At issue is an April 16 order from US District Judge Richard Leon for Trump's Republican administration to halt aboveground work on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W Bush, allowed for construction to continue on belowground work on a bunker and other "national security facilities" at the site. The hearing Friday centered on who has standing to challenge government steps once they have already been taken and standing overrides national security.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to challenge the project in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing.
Government lawyers have argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards.

"These upgrades, alterations, and improvements are essential to protecting the President, his family, and his staff, as well as the White House itself, and the entire project flows from them," they wrote in a court filing.

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