Senate GOP Seeks $1B for Trump Ballroom Security

Senate Republicans have tucked an unusual line item into a sweeping immigration funding plan: $1 billion for Secret Service "security adjustments and upgrades" tied to a future White House ballroom backed by President Trump, reports CNN. The money is part of a roughly $70 billion package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection that GOP leaders hope to push through without Democratic support, using the filibuster-proof reconciliation process. Politico notes that all of the funds involved would be available until October 2029.

The bill frames the ballroom cash as part of an "East Wing Modernization Project," explicitly barring spending on "non-security elements." The Trump administration had previously said private donors would cover the East Wing renovation, but the shooting at last month's White House Correspondents' Dinner has fueled Republican calls for taxpayer participation, with allies casting the ballroom as a security asset for Trump and future presidents. Sen. Lindsey Graham has separately demanded a vote on his own $400 million ballroom bill, and Sen. Katie Britt says "we need to make sure that we have oversight and do that responsibly" as far as any taxpayer role. The committees will begin marking up the broader enforcement package after the Senate returns from recess, as Republicans race to meet Trump's June 1 deadline for fully funding the Department of Homeland Security.