White House ballroom

The Hill -   The Trump administration on Friday is set to make its case before a federal appeals court on why it believes it has authority to build the White House ballroom without further approval from Congress.   The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has agreed to allow construction to proceed until it rules on whether the project can proceed. That decision will determine next steps for the project, which President Trump has been pressing for weeks. 

The legal battle has unfolded in the aftermath of shootings at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and one just outside the White House. The Justice Department has described both as attempts on Trump’s life, telling judges that it heightens the need for the ballroom, which Trump has described as having military-grade security.

“The Ballroom is on time, under budget, and free to the American taxpayer, while benefiting future Presidents by serving as a ‘safe haven’ from attackers such as the two recent would-be assassins,” the Justice Department wrote in court filings last weekend. 

The hearing also comes as the project faces congressional pushback. Six GOP senators voted with Democrats on Thursday in support of a proposal that would explicitly block the project.