Senate Republicans Propose $1 Billion for Secret Service Security Upgrades for Trump Ballroom

Senate Republicans have proposed setting aside $1 billion in taxpayer funding for security upgrades tied to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project as part of a nearly $72 billion package aimed at funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through 2029. The legislation, released late Monday by the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees, would direct the Secret Service to make “security adjustments and upgrades” related to the East Wing Modernization Project, including “above-ground and below-ground security features.” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said the proposal would provide the Secret Service “with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex.” The package is also tied to the aftermath of a man charged with attempting to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton, which CNN described as occurring “last month.”

House Democrats reacted sharply to the proposal, with Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) telling Axios, “Their political castration is complete.” Axios also quoted Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) saying, “The economy in NV is tanking, gas prices are going through the roof ... and Republicans are throwing down $1 Billion for Trump's ballroom.” Republicans, meanwhile, framed the money as security-only, with the legislation stating it can only be used to secure the ballroom and not “non-security elements.” Ingle defended the inclusion as Congress approving “additional funding for security infrastructure upgrades in relation to the long overdue East Wing Modernization Project,” and the White House said the resources were needed after the “assassination attempt” at the Correspondents’ Dinner. The dispute centers on whether the security language effectively covers the ballroom project itself, as Georgetown law professor David Super told Politico that funding only security improvements could “hurt the Trump administration’s arguments in court.”

The proposal is moving through a reconciliation process that Republicans plan to pass with only Republican votes, and Axios reported that it would allow lawmakers to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold as long as the parliamentarian signs off. NBC News said Senate Democrats hope to derail the $1 billion provision by forcing a vote to strip it from the bill when it comes to the Senate floor later this month. The legislation is also being advanced while the ballroom project faces legal challenges, with Politico reporting that a federal judge ruled last month legislators had not properly authorized the project. Politico further noted that the White House touted the security funding’s inclusion as Congress approving a project “currently mired in litigation,” while Clare Slattery said the bill “does not fund ballroom construction.” Republicans are racing to meet Trump’s June 1 deadline for getting the legislation to his desk, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting, which said President Trump asked for the funding to be on his desk for a signature by June 1.

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