The head of a federal panel that oversees construction in Washington announced this week that the White House does not need permission to construct a $200 million ballroom.

Will Scharf, chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, an executive branch agency that provides planning for construction in the national capital region, said Thursday in a meeting that “this commission does not have jurisdiction — and it has long denied that it has jurisdiction — over demolition and site preparation work for federal buildings on federal property.”

“What we deal with is essentially construction — vertical build,” he said. “I know that the president thinks very highly of this commission, and I’m excited for us to play a role in the ballroom project when the time is appropriate for us to do so.”

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