The circuit panel lifted the block on the project and sent the case back to the district court for review.
The District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay of a district court ruling that halted the construction of the White House ballroom by President Trump’s administration. The ruling allows the construction to resume while the case returns to the district judge to reconsider his determination that the project required congressional approval.
The National Park Service appealed the district court’s ruling after the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the suit, stating that the privately funded project is a matter of national security. The plan includes bomb shelters, a hospital and medical area, and a military installation beneath the 90,000 square foot ballroom.
The appellate panel stated, “We cannot fairly determine, on this hurried record, whether and to what extent the district court’s ‘necessary for safety and security’ exception addresses Defendants’ claims of irreparable harm, insofar as it may accommodate the Defendants’ asserted safety and security need for the ballroom itself or other temporary measures to secure the safety and security of the White House, the President, staff, and visitors while this appeal proceeds.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the district judge to be discerning as he reviews the national security implications of halting the ballroom construction.
- For circuit judges to be prudent in their rulings on appeals and their interpretation of constitutional authority.
Sources: Washington Examiner, Townhall, Fox News
