With Deadline Looming, Federal Panel Required To Approve Trump’s New Ballroom Still Has No Members

The White House is just days away from a judicially imposed deadline for it to present plans for its proposed ballroom to two bodies responsible for overseeing new projects on federal land in the nation’s capital. But one of those bodies has no members.All members of the Commission of Fine Arts, which is required to review and advise on the design and location of federal and D.C. government buildings, were fired in October to clear the way for the appointment of new commissioners more aligned with Mr. Trump’s ambitious plans. These include not only a new White House ballroom but also the construction of a triumphal arch on the shore of the Potomac River, which is expected to begin within the next two months.The fine arts commission problem may soon be resolved, according to the Washington Post, which reports Thursday that Mr. Trump is about to name a new slate of appointees to the seven-member panel, several of whom served on the commission during the first Trump administration. White House officials have also considered selecting loyalists with little formal arts expertise, unnamed sources told the Post.The other panel required to review the president’s building plans, the National Capital Planning Commission, has scheduled a public presentation on the ballroom plans for January 8. Most of its members were either appointed by President Trump, are members of his cabinet, or are Republican chairmen of House and Senate committees. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed suit in December, arguing that the administration had violated federal laws by proceeding with the demolition of the East Wing of the White House without any public or congressional review.A George W. Bush-appointed judge ruled that the work could continue provided that the White House begins “consultation processes” with the two panels by December 31. Judge Richard J. Leon subsequently granted the administration a one-week extension.The White House say it submitted applications to both bodies on December 22, though it is unclear whether that satisfies Judge Leon’s order. A staff member with the fine arts commission confirmed receiving the application but a spokesman for the NCPC told the Post it had not received any such application.The White House was unapologetic about its reasons for dismissing the six sitting members of the fine arts commission in October. “We are preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the commission that are more aligned with President Trump’s America First Policies,” a spokesman told Reuters in an email.That echoed the behavior of the previous Biden administration, which in 2021 forced out four panel members who had been appointed by Mr. Trump during his first term, saying it wanted to bring greater “diversity of background and experience” to the panel.Those four — architect Steven Spandle, landscape architect Perry Guillot, sculptor Chas Fagan and commission chairman Justin Shubow — are now expected to be invited back onto the panel, according to the Post. None has said whether he would accept.

With Deadline Looming, Federal Panel Required To Approve Trump’s New Ballroom Still Has No Members

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