Lawyers representing the federal government argue that a court cannot 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.
Bexar County to pay $300K to detention applicant whose job offer was pulled over wife’s La Santa Muerte altarPriced out of MSG, New York Knicks fans fly to San Antonio for a cheaper NBA Finals experienceSemitruck crash critically injures 1, sends 2 others to hospital in far west Bexar County, BCSO saysConstruction on the White House Ballroom continues Friday, June 5, 2026, in Washington, as seen from the Washington Monument.
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 U.S. 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..
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 whether that standing overrides national security.
In response to hypothetical scenarios put forward by Millett, Roth agreed that the government could bulldoze the Statue of Liberty and the White House — and the descendants of immigrants who came through Ellis Island and the enslaved people who built the White House would not have legal standing to oppose the move after the fact. Millett, nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, asked Roth when the construction on the ballroom was a “fait accompli?
” “Was it when you started doing the underground work, which is now totally completely integral and connected and inseparable from a massive ballroom on top?
" she asked. "When did it become impossible for courts to stop this project? ”The exchange was one of many during the two-hour hearing before the three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The hearing concluded without a decision by the judges.
It is hard to determine how the judges might rule. While there were numerous questions for Roth over the administration’s authority and changing explanations of how it is moving forward, plaintiff attorney Tad Heuer also faced numerous questions. The judges pressed Heuer on standing in the case and on how basic aesthetic questions can override the national security concerns.
“We have never opposed the underground construction of the bunker, which is where the government until recently has said the national security concerns lay,” Heuer said. He said construction should be halted until Congress weighs in. 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 Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
H-E-B and the Spurs just surprised random shoppers with Finals ticketsThis Bug Could Drive Ranchers Out of the BusinessFormer SAISD cop hired to protect kids accused of waving a gun at friendsDavid Robinson, Tim Duncan & The Moment SA Changed ForeverThieves hit a local shop during NBA Finals — and took all the Spurs shirtsAttorney Breaks Silence After Ex-Judge Accepts Lifetime BanA skateboard, a stabbing, and a lifelong friendship gone wrongThat downtown hotel plan? SAWS just pulled the plug
Please follow us on Google to support us Richard J. Leon George W. Bush Donald Trump Yaakov Roth Washington News Barack Obama Patricia Millett
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Kennedy Center Lawyers Instruct Removal Of Trump's Name From ComplexThe attorneys also said that Trump's name had to be removed from emails and the center website.
Read more »
Lara Trump Exposes Trump’s Tackiest White House Refurb YetThe president’s daughter-in-law has confirmed that no inch of the White House is safe from the president’s remodeling crusade.
Read more »
Trump Lawyers Make Stunning Refusal in $10B Court BattleThe president is unwilling to prove the core allegation in one of his lawsuits.
Read more »
Court weighs whether Trump needed congressional approval for White House ballroomA federal appeals court on Friday heard arguments in a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's White House ballroom.
Read more »