Key Facts

• The ballroom project is estimated to cost $400 million and replaces the East Wing of the White House.
• Lower courts ruled that the project must have approval from Congress and ordered a halt to aboveground construction.
• Chief Justice Roberts’ temporary order allows construction to continue while the Supreme Court considers the appeal.
• The Trump administration argues the president has full authority to renovate federal buildings and cited national security needs for finishing the ballroom.
• About 65% of the project is already complete, with 20-hour workdays and private donations of around $200 million.
• Preservation groups challenged the project, saying Trump does not have unilateral authority to do the work and that the courts should stop construction.
• A district court allows underground work on bunkers and military installations to continue during the legal process.
• Judges appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents have disagreed on whether Congress must approve the project or if the preservation group has legal standing to sue.