Senate Republicans have officially withdrawn a $1 billion provision for security enhancements for a proposed White House ballroom from a revised budget reconciliation bill.
The decision to retract the funding was made during the Memorial Day recess, but was only formalized with the release of the updated text from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
This move comes as a significant setback for President Donald Trump, who has been lobbying Republican senators for weeks to authorize the project, especially after a security incident at the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner in April.
In a 53-47 procedural vote on Wednesday, the Senate moved forward with legislation that would fund federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol. Lawmakers will now debate the bill and consider amendments before holding a final vote, which could stretch into Thursday. If the measure clears the Senate, it will head to the House of Representatives and then to Trump’s desk for approval.
Trump Ballroom Plan Under Fire
The decision to withdraw the funding comes after Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) expressed skepticism about the $1 billion funding for the ballroom. Paul suggested that the provision could be removed as it may fall outside his committee’s jurisdiction.
The ballroom security funding sparked a major political fight, with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) vowing to oppose it aggressively. On Wednesday, Schumer said on the Senate floor, “Even without Trump’s $1 billion taxpayer-funded ballroom … the bill is rotten through-and-through.”
The move came after strong opposition from Senate Republicans led the Trump administration to drop plans for a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.
Trump has been vocal about the necessity of the project for national security, even calling for the dismissal of a lawsuit blocking a proposed White House “DronePort.” Earlier, the President slammed a federal judge after plans for a new White House ballroom were halted, intensifying a legal battle over whether the project requires congressional approval
Last week, Trump had defended the ballroom expansion and dismissed cost overrun reports, stating that the original proposal of $200 million was inadequate for handling necessary events, meetings, and future inaugurations. The project was expanded to twice its original size and improved in quality, resulting in a revised cost of less than $400 million.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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