The National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a response with the Supreme Court regarding the construction of a White House Ballroom. In a statement released in Washington, DC, the organization challenged the Administration's legal authority to proceed with the project on the site of the demolished East Wing.
Brent Leggs, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, stated that the Administration has made claims to the U.S. Supreme Court that no court has the authority to stop the construction. The Administration also claimed that the use of indestructible concrete would make the ballroom impossible to remove if ordered to do so. Leggs noted that the Administration appears to be working to outrace judicial review.
The National Trust's filing reiterates that the Administration lacks unilateral constitutional, statutory, or otherwise legal authority to build the ballroom without express approval from Congress. The organization noted that every court that has reviewed the case has agreed with their position.
The National Trust's position has received support from amicus briefs, including one from the Society for the Rule of Law and former Republican White House lawyers. These briefs argue that the executive branch lacks unilateral authority to transform or destroy the White House and cannot use national security as a justification to ignore the Constitution.
