Trump's White House ballroom loses $1 billion as Senate Republicans rebel

US Senate Republicans removed a controversial provision funding $1 billion for the Secret Service from an immigration enforcement bill after a congressional ruling and growing internal dissent threatened the measure, causing a significant setback to the White House’s East Wing renovation project ambitions.

The Senate voted to remove funding for ballroom security from the immigration bill

Republican senators confirmed Wednesday that a billion-dollar Secret Service appropriation that was specifically tied to the so-called East Wing modernization project in the proposed legislation will not survive the final cut in the party’s filibuster-proof immigration enforcement package.

“We’ve been told the ball money is gone,” Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told reporters after a closed-door Republican luncheon, though he added he would “like to read the text” before drawing any final conclusions.

The parliamentary decision sparked a Republican revolt in the Senate over the Trump Ballroom project

The provision fell apart after a series of complex setbacks. Senate Rep. Elizabeth MacDonough ruled over the weekend that the appropriations exceeded what could legitimately be included in the reconciliation rules, on the grounds that they funded activities outside the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee.

This parliamentary blow was accompanied by growing concern within the Republican caucus itself. Several senators have publicly questioned the wisdom of including funding for White House renovations in the bill, which is framed as a crackdown on immigration. The broader group harbored private reservations, and the political temperature inside the conference cooled further Tuesday when President Donald Trump endorsed Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the upcoming Texas GOP primary, angering many in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told colleagues during a luncheon Wednesday that both hurdles remained firmly in place. According to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private meeting, Thune made it clear that parliamentary complications and insufficient votes combined made the inclusion of the security provision untenable.

What the draft legislation says about the White House East Wing project

The bill contained explicit wording that specified that part of the $1 billion in Secret Service funding could be used for “above-ground and underground security features” associated with the East Wing modernization project. This phrase was not accidental. The White House indicated earlier this month that Congressional passage of the bill with that language would act as legislative authorization for a broader renovation scheme. The administration is currently involved in a lawsuit after a federal judge ruled earlier this year that the project was not properly approved by lawmakers.

In an interview late last week, Thune confirmed that the White House had furnished Senate offices with proposed legislation related to the project.

The administration subsequently attempted to assuage senators’ concerns by clarifying that only $220 million of the $1 billion allocation would potentially go toward the ballroom project and related security enhancements to the White House complex. The assurances failed to quell the objections.

Republicans are bracing for Trump’s wrath as the ballroom provision is repealed

Republican senators are privately bracing for a sharp response from the president after the decision, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the internal discussions. Even before Senate leaders formally moved to drop the provision, Trump called for the lawmaker’s recall in a post on Truth Social.

Speaking to reporters after lunch on Wednesday, Thune struck a carefully measured tone. “Conversations are ongoing and the text of the bill is not yet finalized,” he said, stopping short of declaring the provision dead by name.

The anti-gun fund could be another political point in the Senate

Defunding the Secret Service will not end the political difficulties surrounding the immigration bill. Senate Democrats are poised to introduce an amendment targeting a new Justice Department “anti-gun” fund set up through the Trump deal that critics say could be deployed to benefit the president’s political allies.

Republicans have privately acknowledged that such an amendment could garner enough GOP support to pass, according to two other people who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose the discussions, raising the prospect of more turbulence as the Senate tries to bring a final bill to Trump’s desk this week.