House Democrats request details on White House ballroom from President Trump [View all]
Source: CBS News
October 23, 2025 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News
House Democrats, disturbed by what they see as the destruction of a historic landmark, are demanding answers about the forthcoming White House ballroom. In a letter to President Trump, a trio of Democrats expressed concern about "transparency, funding priorities, the physical integrity of the White House and the ethical integrity of the Administration it houses."
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, along with Democratic Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona and Jared Huffman of California, wrote that decisions about the ballroom addition "were made in complete secrecy" and without "public disclosure or proper consultation."
This week, demolition crews began dismantling the White House East Wing to make room for the privately funded ballroom, which is expected to exceed 90,000 square feet. Mr. Trump said the cost of the building had ballooned to $300 million, up from its original estimate of $200 million in July.
"Essentially, it's Donald Trump doing what he wants while the government is shut down," Rep. Garcia, of California, told CBS News in a telephone interview. "The images are incredibly disturbing." Garcia, Huffman and Ansari asked the White House to turn over communication related to the ongoing demolition. They also requested architectural plans, a detailed budget for the project, a list of all donors and legal justifications for the structure. Democrats lack the power to unilaterally subpoena documents, so the letter amounts to a voluntary request — not a binding demand.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-democrats-request-trump-ballroom-details/
Link to Reps. Garcia, Ansari, Huffman PRESS RELEASE - Ansari, Huffman, Garcia Demand Transparency on White House Ballroom Construction During Shutdown
Link to LETTER (inquiry) (PDF) - https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2025-10-23-hga-ballroom-construction-white-houserhxvxvutu58xtd726w0se9d5uvbd8t.pdf
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