Most Americans just want to pay their bills and have some measure of a quality of life. Basic stuff. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing ahead with nearly $1 billion in White House modernization projects, using a funding structure that has quickly become a new flashpoint over presidential power and congressional oversight. Ridiculous.
Public budget records reviewed by The Washington Post show roughly $875 million was directed into the White House Repair and Restoration account, a fund traditionally used for routine upkeep and normally carrying only a fraction of that amount.
The money reportedly includes $500 million transferred from the U.S. Secret Service and White House Military Office, another $305 million from private donors, and $70 million from an unidentified source.
The full construction program is projected to reach $927 million.
Among the most ambitious plans is a 90,000-square-foot East Wing ballroom originally estimated at $400 million. Additional projects focus heavily on security, including drone-resistant structures, elevated drone ports, threat filtration systems and bulletproof glass. A new helipad, visitor screening center and work around Lafayette Square are also included.
The spending strategy is already facing legal resistance.
A federal appeals court recently halted above-ground construction on the ballroom, finding that major changes to federal property require congressional authorization. The ruling rejected the administration’s ability to rely on “self-help” or redirect federal agency funds around the legislative process.
White House spokesperson David Ingle has defended the security upgrades as necessary responses to modern threats.
The administration now plans to take the fight over the construction halt to the Supreme Court, setting up another major test of how far executive authority can stretch when hundreds of millions in federal spending are on the line.