Raskin to introduce bill to require review of White House renovation plans [View all]
Source: CBS News
Updated on: December 16, 2025 / 7:18 AM EST / CBS News
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland plans to introduce legislation Tuesday that would subject White House renovations like President Trump's ballroom project to the same reviews as other federal projects. Currently, the White House is exempt from certain oversight under the National Historic Preservation Act.
Raskin's bill, called the "People's White House Historic Preservation Act," would require White House renovations to undergo a so-called "Section 106 review," a pre-ground breaking assessment that addresses the impact of renovations on historic buildings and allows the public to weigh in.
The legislation comes three months after construction crews began work on a privately-financed, 90,000-square-foot ballroom addition that will cost about $300 million. A construction crane hangs over the site where the East Wing once stood. It was demolished in late October, even though President Trump had previously said the new construction would be "near it but not touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building."
Mr. Trump has reveled in how easy it's been to fast track the project. In October, Mr. Trump recounted being told, "Sir, this is the White House, you're the president of the United States, you can do anything you want." "It's kings who treat public property as private property," Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, told CBS News in a phone interview. "It's not his house; it's our house. And if there is going to be construction and renovation expansion or changes, that should go through a regular public process."
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/raskin-bill-require-white-house-renovation-plans-review/
Link to Rep. Raskin PRESS RELEASE - Raskin Introduces Legislation to Preserve the People’s White House, Require Public Input for Trump’s Marie Antoinette Ballroom
Link to draft BILL (PDF) - https://raskin.house.gov/_cache/files/0/8/0808efd4-99d2-4e9b-bcd0-027a3fe11555/BC16BBA5BB001547B2E603789B8AC9FB74E40CEFAED2EA2AF7368853F9F63973.people-s-white-house-historic-preservation-act.pdf
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