Overview
- White House officials say they filed applications on December 22 with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, though only the CFA has confirmed receipt and the NCPC says it has not yet received the submission.
- The administration’s schedule calls for a January 8 informational session at the NCPC, a January 15 presentation at the CFA, a February 19 CFA vote, and a March 5 NCPC vote, with a National Park Service filing indicating above-grade work is not expected before April 2026 and completion projected in summer 2028.
- U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon declined to halt work immediately, required engagement with review bodies, allowed limited below-ground activity, and warned that any irreversible steps taken outside proper review could be ordered removed.
- Preservation advocates, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, have sued after demolition and early site work at the East Wing, challenging a roughly $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project they argue bypassed required public review.
- Scrutiny of private funding is intensifying as lawmakers press for donor transparency, with Senator Richard Blumenthal seeking details on contributors who may have business before the administration.