Administration officials are intensifying efforts to secure $1 billion in security funding for President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project, but they’re facing growing resistance from Republican lawmakers concerned about the political optics.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran will meet Tuesday with Senate Republicans to pitch the funding as necessary for enhanced White House security and protecting against emerging threats, but several GOP senators are skeptical or outright opposed to approving that funding, reported Politico.
The $1 billion provision is embedded within a party-line spending bill focused primarily on immigration enforcement, and the president has set a June 1 deadline for Congress to pass the legislation.
The administration argues the money should be framed as a security necessity rather than a ballroom renovation expense, but Republicans in both chambers are dubious and resent the pressure to approve a measure they increasingly view as politically damaging at a time when voters struggle with elevated gas and grocery prices.
“It’s a bad look. It’s bad timing. It’s bad all around,” one House Republican told Politico.
Some House GOP leaders privately question whether the provision has sufficient votes to pass and hope it gets stripped during Senate consideration first. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) predicted the ballroom language could be removed during parliamentary review, and conversations with the Senate parliamentarian are already underway.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee will vote next week on its portion of the bill, which excludes ballroom language, but the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed its markup, while the Senate Budget Committee must compile the full bill before floor consideration begins.
Senate Republicans aim to begin floor debate Wednesday and pass the measure by Friday, sending it to the House. That aggressive timeline means House leadership may need to keep lawmakers in session through part of Memorial Day weekend to complete their work.
The ballroom provision faces multiple opportunities for removal through the “Byrd bath” reconciliation review process, where bipartisan meetings occur to ensure spending provisions comply with budget rules, and Republicans remain divided on whether the funding is defensible politically heading into the midterm elections.
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