Washington– WASHINGTON (AP) — They’re divided along partisan lines on policy. They are divided on the government shutdown. Now federal lawmakers are divided over whether to demolish the East Wing of the White House to make way for the 90,000-square-foot building. ballroom Which President Donald Trump wants to build.
the Stunning images of destruction This week, it sparked outrage from Democratic lawmakers. Meanwhile, Republicans liken it to a long series of White House renovations over the years. There is an addition to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s swimming pool, which has now been covered, they said. There was Barack Obama’s basketball court, a tennis court that had been modified so it could be used for tennis and basketball. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, noted that William Taft added the Oval Office.
“The auditorium is going to be great,” Johnson said.
And around the Capitol, Democratic senators interwoven images of the destruction into Sen. Jeff Merkley’s video spanning more than 22 hours. letter In the Senate chamber.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., showed Merkley a photo of the shattered East Wing and asked the Oregon senator to describe what he saw and its significance.
“Here we have evidence of the president tearing down the symbol of our republic and building a symbol that is in fact a symbol of authoritarian power, of a government that serves the rich,” Merkley said.
Trump says the White House needs a large entertainment space, and has complained that the East Room, which is currently the largest space in the White House, is too small – it can accommodate about 200 people. He resented the previous practice of presidents hosting state dinners and other large events in tents on the South Lawn.
The White House said the hall will be ready for use long before Trump’s term ends in January 2029, an ambitious timeline. “Me and some of my friends” will pay for the hall, at no cost to taxpayers, Trump said.
The White House saw the addition of the East Wing in 1942 to house additional staff and offices. the White House Historical Association He says the construction was controversial because of its wartime timing. Republicans in Congress described the spending as wasteful, and some accused Roosevelt of using the project to boost the image of his presidency.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s opening remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday sought to link the president’s work in the East Wing to the current government shutdown, saying Trump was focused not on dealing with the threatened health care coverage issue for millions of Americans but on “vanity projects like this one that don’t do anything for the American people. They only benefit Trump and his ego.”
Republican senators were at times dismissive of questions about demolishing the East Wing. When asked if he welcomed the renovations, Sen. John Kennedy, R-Los Angeles, replied: “I don’t care much for architecture. I’m not a very good architect.”
Sen. Markwayne Mullen, R-Oklahoma, said the difference between Trump Hall and a series of previous construction projects he has recounted to reporters is that taxpayers will not be funding this one.
“I mean you have a builder with an eye for construction and excellence. Who better person would you want to renovate the White House?” Mullen said.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut took issue with Republicans who compared the hall to other renovation projects over the years.
“They filled up the swimming pool. They probably invaded a bowling alley. They didn’t irreversibly destroy an entire wing of the White House,” Blumenthal said. “…I think it’s heartbreaking.”