August 19, 2026 - Washington, D.C. — On Tuesday, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Jared Huffman, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, led Ranking Members in filing a follow-up amicus brief in National Trust for Historic Preservation v. National Park Service, the Trump ballroom case now before the U.S. Supreme Court. This brief is a follow up to their original amicus brief, filed in May 2026, to stop President Trump’s illegal demolition and reconstruction of the White House East Wing to build a billion-dollar ballroom for his billionaire friends and donors.
“The case against Donald Trump’s billion-dollar vanity ballroom is now with the Supreme Court. The Constitution gives Congress, not the President, authority over federal property. Congress has not provided funding or authorization for Trump’s ridiculous vanity project, making this project an unconstitutional abuse of power. We will continue fighting to stop this illegal use of taxpayer dollars,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.
“The most corrupt, lawless president in American history illegally took a wrecking ball to the White House, demolishing the East Wing to build a gold-slathered ballroom for his billionaire buddies without a single vote or dime approved by Congress. That's his answer to families staring down sky high grocery and gas prices: chandeliers and champagne for the donor class. Trump treats the law the same way he treats everything else, as one more obstacle to bulldoze on the way to serving himself and the people who bankroll him. Democrats are in court to stop him, and we will keep fighting to make sure the White House still belongs to the American people,” said Ranking Member Jared Huffman.
“The Constitution deems Congress the landlord of the White House and all federal property – presidents are only temporary tenants in the People’s House. Trump’s billionaire ballroom stunt is plainly illegal, and the Supreme Court should put a stop to it,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
The lawmakers' amicus brief challenges President Trump’s demolition of the White House East Wing without congressional authorization or appropriation. Congress controls federal property, including the White House, and for more than two centuries every major renovation has gone through congressional authorization and appropriation. Trump bypassed Congress entirely, and no law authorizes what he is doing.
Full list of signatories: Congressman Robert Garcia, Congressman Jared Huffman, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Senator Richard Durbin, Senator Angela Alsobrooks, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Martin Heinrich, Senator John Hickenlooper, Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Ben Ray Luján, Senator Edward Markey, Senator Gary Peters, Senator Jack Reed, Senator Adam Schiff, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Ron Wyden, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Congressman Pete Aguilar, Congressman Jim Himes, Congressman Ro Khanna, Congressman Rick Larsen, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Congressman Joseph Morelle, Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congressman Bobby Scott, Congressman Adam Smith, Congressman Mark Takano, Congressman Bennie Thompson, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
Source: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform-Democrats
