Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized President Donald Trump over a reported $900 million White House ballroom project, arguing the administration should be focused on lowering costs for Americans instead of funding an expensive renovation. In a Wednesday post on X, Schumer said inflation was "spiral[ing] out of control" and gas prices remained above $4, adding: "$900 million for a gilded ballroom at the White House. $0 to lower your costs." Other Democrats, including Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, also attacked the spending as a taxpayer-funded "vanity project" as households face higher costs. The Washington Post reported that the administration had planned at least $927 million in White House construction work, including a $600 million East Wing ballroom, a helipad, a visitor center and other upgrades. It said about $875 million had been shifted into a White House maintenance account, including hundreds of millions from the Secret Service and White House Military Office, alongside private donations, prompting concern because Congress had not directly approved much of the spending. A federal appeals court ruled Congress had to approve the ballroom project, and Trump planned to appeal. The broader construction push has already faced legal and funding setbacks, including a court order blocking above-ground work on an earlier proposed $400 million ballroom and disputes over a granite helipad intended to improve Marine One operations on the South Lawn.