Senate official blocks $1 billion White House security plan
WASHINGTON (AP) — A plan to provide $1 billion for security enhancements at the White House grounds and the president'snew ballroomfalls short of procedural guidelines, as stated by the Senate parliamentarian, delivering a setback toRepublican plansto incorporate it into a bill that will finance immigration enforcement agencies over the next three years.
A statement from Senate Democrats released late Saturday stated that the funding for a project as significant and intricate as President Donald Trump's extensive East Wing renovation is too broad to be incorporated into the limited GOP budget bill, which does not allow for a filibuster and requires only a simple majority to pass.
It's uncertain whether Republicans will be able to quickly recover any portion of thebillion-dollar Secret Service proposal, which would provide funding for security at Trump's ballroom as well as other areas of the White House, including a new visitor screening center, further training for agents, and additional support for major events. Republicans stated on Saturday night that they are amending the legislation following the parliamentarian's guidance.
Ryan Wrasse, a representative for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, stated in a message on X that "nothing about this is unusual" amid the challenging budget procedure that Republicans are employing to advance funding for immigration enforcement and White House security.on a partisan basis.
"Rewrite. Polish. Resubmit," Wrasse stated in the post.
Democrats are celebrating and claim they will prevent it once more.
Democrats have taken advantage of the security request, charging Republicans with diverting important federal resources to the ballroom initiative rather than concentrating on assisting Americans withrising costs. Republicans have stated that private contributions will be utilized for constructing the ballroom, while federal funds will be directed solely toward essential security improvements.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, claimed responsibility for the decision after Democrats presented their case to theparliamentarianthat the security funds should not be included in the bill.
Republicans attempted to have taxpayers cover the cost of Trump's billion-dollar ballroom," Schumer stated on Saturday night. "Senate Democrats resisted — and thwarted their initial effort.
Schumer stated that Democrats "will be prepared to block them once more" while Republicans claim they plan to amend the bill.
The decision made by the Senate parliamentarian is not binding, but these decisions are seldom disregarded when legislators draft bills that can pass with a simple majority. Most legislation is vulnerable to a filibuster and therefore requires 60 votes to move forward — which means Republicans will need some backing from Democrats in the 53-47 Senate.
Funds for White House security are included in a broader immigration legislation.
The Republican party aims to pass a roughly $72 billion plan to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the remainder of Trump's presidency, following months of Democratic opposition to the funding.
As part of the package, Republicans allocated $1 billion for upgrades to White House security, some of which is linked to Trump's new ballroom. The Secret Service had asked for the funds following a man being charged withtrying to assassinate Trumpat the White House Press Association dinner last month.
The overall budget plan is offering additional financial support for Trump's immigration and deportation efforts, sustaining operations until September 2029. This follows the funding for ICE and Border Patrol that Congress approved last year in a major package.tax breaks bill Trump signed into law.
The legislator maintained the majority of the immigration section of the bill, although a few small provisions were denied, such as funding for Customs and Border Patrol to hire, train, and compensate Border Patrol agents. Republicans referred to these as merely technical adjustments.
Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon, the leading Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, stated in the evening that "Democrats are ready to contest any modifications to this legislation."
Americans should not allocate "a single penny" toward Trump's "Louis XIV-style ballroom, and should not pour tens of billions more into two lawless agencies," Merkley stated.
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A report by Associated Press journalist Lisa Mascaro was compiled.
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