H.R. 8543

119 HR 8543 IH: Build the Ballroom Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-04-28
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 8543  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   April 28, 2026   Mr. Fine  introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure    A BILL
To authorize the construction of a ballroom on the grounds of the White House, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Build the Ballroom Act  .
2.
Findings; sense of Congress
(a)
Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Under the current structure, the White House is unable to host formal events or state dinners for over 200 people because of space constraints.
(2)
Larger formal events must be held off campus, which risks the security of the president.
(3)
On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan while he was leaving an event at the Washington Hilton.
(4)
On April 25th, 2026, Cole Tomas Allen attempted to assassinate the President and his guests during White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
(b)
Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that it is now time to build a ballroom located on the grounds of the White House which takes modern security concerns into account and will be able to serve the Office of the President far into the future.
3.
Construction of ballroom on White House grounds
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President may construct a ballroom on the grounds of the White House that—
(1)
is planned taking into account the needs of the President and the Executive Office of the President;
(2)
is approved solely by the President;
(3)
includes heating, electricity, and furniture;
(4)
includes removal of any applicable existing structures; and
(5)
is constructed as a permanent structure.