Trump Administration Plans $900 Million in White House Construction: WaPo

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA: U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to spend at least $900 million on construction projects across the White House grounds, according to a report by The Washington Post citing records and planning documents.

The planned expenditure would fund a series of projects described in documents as White House "modernization projects," representing a significant programme of construction and upgrades at the presidential complex.

Rather than securing the funding directly through Congress, the administration has assembled money from other government agencies and private donors and directed it into an account traditionally used to support routine maintenance of the White House, according to the report.

That account typically holds only a few million dollars for maintenance work but could now be used to finance a substantially larger programme of construction.

Reuters said it could not immediately independently verify The Washington Post's report. The White House also did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Funding Directed Through White House Maintenance Account

According to The Washington Post, confidential contracts and related planning documents indicate that the administration intends to use money transferred into the account to support the planned modernization projects.

The reported funding structure differs from the conventional process of obtaining congressional appropriations specifically allocated for major federal construction projects.

Instead, funding has reportedly been gathered from a combination of other agencies and private donors before being directed to the White House account.

Details regarding the individual projects that would make up the full $900 million or more in planned expenditure were not disclosed in the information provided.

The report also did not specify the overall construction timeline or how much of the funding has already been secured or committed to individual projects.

Major Construction Programme for White House Grounds

The White House is both the official residence and workplace of the U.S. president, making construction and modernization projects on its grounds subject to significant operational, security and preservation considerations.

If carried out at the scale reported, the planned investment would represent a substantial programme of construction activity across the White House complex.

However, with contracts and planning documents described as confidential and Reuters unable to independently verify the report, further details surrounding the scope, financing and delivery of the projects remain limited.

The White House had not provided a response to Reuters at the time of reporting.