Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday argued that Congress had already granted the administration the authority to build the planned White House ballroom after an appeals court ordered a halt on construction.

The project has been mired in legal trouble since its inception, with the National Trust for Historic Preservation filing a challenge to the construction, asserting that President Donald Trump lacked the authority to conduct the overhaul of the White House grounds.

“We don’t believe we have to go to Congress. We believe Congress has already given us the authority to do what we’re doing,” Blanche told Fox News's Shannon Bream. “Many presidents have done a tremendous amount of work to the White House, as they should, and Congress has authorized them to do so."

The project is one of several renovations that come as part of Trump's efforts to beautify the nation's capital city. He has further argued that the nation needs a secure facility for state events and pointed to the assassination attempt on his life at a local Hilton hotel during the White House Correspondents Association Dinner.

The DOJ has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the case.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.