Judge mocks White House East Wing 'alteration' as a 'brazen interpretation of the laws of vocabulary'
The Trump administration’s arguments in defense of the massive White House ballroom project on Tuesday found virtually no purchase before a federal judge, who appears ready to rule that the president skirted the law by undertaking construction without congressional approval.
During a testy hearing before senior US District Judge Richard Leon, the George W. Bush appointee repeatedly threw cold water on a litany of arguments pushed by the Justice Department that President Donald Trump had authority under a series of federal laws to pursue the project absent express authorization from lawmakers.
Leon has made clear his doubt that Trump has the authority to move forward with the project under a federal law that gives a president the authority to “to undertake ‘alteration’ and ‘improvement’ of the White House, ‘as the President may determine.’”
He took issue on Tuesday with the idea that a sprawling $400 million ballroom renovation and the demolition of the East Wing marked a simple “alteration.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/judge-mocks-white-house-east-214446257.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
