Senate blocks Trump ballroom security funding in GOP immigration bill

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Senate blocks Trump ballroom funding

Highlights

Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that the $1 billion Secret Service provision, including $220 million for East Wing ballroom security, cannot remain in the GOP immigration bill as drafted.
Republicans must redraft the provision to comply with budget reconciliation rules or risk delays to the $72 billion immigration and border security package before the scheduled recess.
Democrats plan procedural and floor challenges against the revised security funding, arguing it shifts East Wing ballroom costs to taxpayers despite Trump claiming private donations cover construction.

Parliamentarian ruling forces rewrite

As first reported by CNBC, Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled on Saturday that a $1 billion Secret Service provision, including $220 million for security upgrades tied to the East Wing ballroom project, cannot remain in the GOP immigration enforcement bill as drafted because it falls outside the Senate Judiciary Committee's jurisdiction.

The decision means Republicans must rewrite the provision if they want to preserve it in the budget reconciliation package. That process lets the Senate bypass the 60-vote filibuster threshold and pass qualifying budget legislation with a simple majority.

Ryan Wrasse, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, said on X that Republicans plan to continue pressing ahead. "Redraft. Refine. Resubmit. None of this is abnormal during a Byrd process," he wrote.

MacDonough has already rejected several other parts of the measure, adding pressure on GOP leaders as they try to keep the wider package on schedule and send it back to the House before the planned recess.

Political dispute over project financing

The broader Republican package provides roughly $72 billion for border and immigration agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The White House and Senate Republicans describe the $1 billion as Secret Service money for security improvements rather than direct construction funding for the ballroom.

A memo obtained by MS NOW says $220 million of that total is allocated to the East Wing ballroom project, while the remainder covers other Secret Service measures. Trump says private donors, not taxpayers, fund the ballroom itself.

Republicans also point to an April shooting attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents Association dinner as support for additional security spending. Democrats argue the provision effectively shifts project costs onto taxpayers and are preparing further challenges if Republicans revise the bill.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, says Democrats are ready to contest any changes made to satisfy Trump. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats will continue opposing the proposal through Senate procedural review and floor votes.

Our earlier article covered how Donald Trump, his two eldest sons, and the Trump Organization moved to end a major legal fight with the Internal Revenue Service by withdrawing a $10 billion damages claim. We noted that the step came as separate settlement discussions were drawing attention to the possibility of federal money being directed into a fund connected to Trump allies, raising broader questions about legal exposure and taxpayer-related implications.

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