The Trump administration is preparing to spend at least $900 million on a sweeping series of construction, renovation and security projects throughout the White House complex, with officials arguing that much of the work is essential to modernize and protect the executive mansion.
According to The Washington Post, which reviewed contracting and planning documents, the combined price tag for the projects could reach at least $927 million, substantially more than had previously been publicly disclosed.
Among the projects are President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom at the site of the East Wing, improvements to Lafayette Square, a new helipad, and construction of a visitor screening facility.
Rather than requesting a single congressional appropriation covering the entire modernization program, the administration has drawn funding from a combination of private contributions and transfers from other federal government accounts.
Publicly available budget documents indicate that $875 million has been directed to the White House Repair and Restoration account since Trump returned to office.
Of that amount, $500 million was transferred from the Secret Service and White House Military Office, according to the Post, while another $305 million came from private donors. Records reviewed by the newspaper indicated that an additional $70 million was transferred into the account from a source that was not identified.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the extensive work, describing the projects as long-needed improvements to the executive mansion and its surrounding grounds.
“President Trump continues to implement long-overdue and necessary renovations to beautify the People’s House as we celebrate our great Nation’s 250th anniversary of independence,” Ingle said in a statement to the Post.
“Thanks to the Builder-in-Chief, the White House will be properly glorified and remain in excellent condition for generations to come.”
The newly disclosed spending comes as the administration remains locked in a court fight over Trump’s proposed 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, one of the most prominent elements of the broader construction effort.
A divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that construction of the above-ground portions of the ballroom cannot move forward without authorization from Congress. The 2-1 decision, however, permits certain underground security-related construction to continue.
Trump has said he will take the dispute to the Supreme Court, arguing that the appeals court ruling could jeopardize national security.
The president has stressed that the project encompasses considerably more than the ballroom itself, saying the work includes bomb shelters, medical facilities, missile-resistant construction, defenses against drones and other security improvements designed to protect the White House complex.
Trump has also repeatedly maintained that taxpayers will not bear the cost of constructing the ballroom itself, saying that portion of the project is being financed through private contributions.
According to the White House, $400 million in private donations will finance the ballroom, while federal funds are being directed toward the security infrastructure connected with the larger construction and modernization effort.
The appeals court delayed implementation of its ruling for two weeks, providing the Trump administration with an opportunity to ask the Supreme Court to intervene and allow the project to proceed.
{Matzav.com}
