NewzThe US Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to continue construction of his White House ballroom project for now, temporarily pausing a judicial order that would halt much of the development. The court’s action, known as an administrative stay, gives the justices additional time to consider the administration’s formal request to let it continue working on the US$400 million ballroom while a lawsuit by a historic preservation group seeking to stop the project... Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday allowed the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom project to continue for now.
The temporary order comes hours before lower-court rulings would have forced a halt to aboveground construction. The move gives justices additional time to consider the administration's formal request to let it continue working on the $400 million project. WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday allowed the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom project to continue for now, as the Supreme Court considers the Trump administration's emergency request to intervene in lawsuits over the project.The temporary order comes hours before lower-court rulings would have forced a halt to aboveground construction.
The brief, one-page document does not detail Roberts' reasoning or lay out a timeline for a fuller decision from the high court.A Washington-based judge ordered work to stop because Trump didn't have congressional approval. The decision was signed by Roberts because he oversees appeals of cases filed in the capital.The case comes before the nation’s highest court as Trump, a Republican, exercises unparalleled assertions of presidential power and increasingly seeks to mold the capital in his own image.The Trump administration has scored a series of victories on the high court’s emergency docket, though the justices have ruled against some of the president's signature policies after fuller review.The administration has argued that the president has total authority to renovate the White House and other federal buildings as he sees fit and that the ballroom project must be completed due to national security concerns.When Trump first announced the plans for a new ballroom, he did not emphasize national security. He said the project would be funded by private donations, including from himself.The National Trust for Historic Preservation argues that Trump has no unilateral authority to undertake the work, which has included demolishing the East Wing.
Lawyers for the preservation group accused the White House of trying to “outrun the courts” by accelerating construction.The Trump administration says 65% of the work has already been completed on the planned 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom, where the East Wing stood before the president ordered its demolition. Crews are working 20 hours a day, seven days a week on the project, where about $200 million in private donations has been spent or committed, according to court documents filed by the Justice Department.A district court judge ordered a stop to aboveground construction of the planned ballroom in April in a ruling that was suspended before being upheld by an appeals court panel. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is allowing the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump's $400 million ballroom project for now.
Chief justice signs temporary order to permit work while court considers emergency appeal from administrationThe US supreme court has allowed Donald Trump to continue construction of his controversial White House ballroom for now, temporarily pausing a lower court order that would halt much of the project.Supreme court chief justice John Roberts signed a temporary order on Friday, permitting work to continue on the planned White House addition – a top priority of the president – while the court considers an emergency appeal from Trump’s administration. Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked a ruling that was set to halt construction on the White House ballroom later Friday, ruling that work can briefly continue as the Supreme Court mulls the Trump administration’s emergency plea to intervene. It delays, for now, a lower court’s deadline to stop above-ground construction by the end of the day.
Chief Justice John Roberts issued a stay that will remain in place until the Supreme Court takes further action. WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is allowing the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom project for now. Roberts signed a temporary order on Friday allowing work to continue while the court considers an emergency appeal from the Trump administration.
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