The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump to continue, for now, construction of a White House banquet hall that he is pursuing without congressional approval.
On the 21st, according to AP News and others, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary order allowing construction to continue while he reviews the Trump administration's appeal of an order halting the project.
Earlier, the Trump administration in Oct. last year began work to tear down the White House East Wing and build a new banquet hall. The plan was to build a luxurious banquet hall measuring 8,270 square meters that could accommodate about 1,000 people. But controversy over legality erupted after it became known that the administration had not informed Congress and would cover project costs with donations from private corporations.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) filed for a preliminary injunction in Dec. last year to stop the work. The court of first instance granted the injunction at the end of Mar. "The president of the United States is the steward of the White House, not its owner," it said. The appellate court also recognized an abuse of executive power and upheld the lower court's decision.
However, on this day the Supreme Court temporarily allowed the work to proceed while it considers the appeal.
Trump wrote on his social media (SNS) that he was grateful for the Supreme Court's decision, adding that the military-banquet complex being built on the sacred grounds of the White House, which is essential to national security, would be by far the best of its kind.
The White House says the project includes not only a banquet hall but also a bomb shelter and drone defense facilities, and that it must be completed quickly for national security.