Chuck Schumer, the US Senate's top Democrat, has vowed to oppose a Republican plan to spend $1bn on security improvements for the ballroom Donald Trump is seeking to build on the White House's former East Wing. The money is set to be included in a measure Republicans plan to pass that would allocate about $70bn to federal agencies leading Trump's mass deportation campaign.
In a letter to Democratic senators, Schumer accused Republicans of 'asking working families to pay the price while Donald Trump pockets the perks'. He said Senate Democrats would not let the bill pass without making Republicans answer for 'endless cost hikes, healthcare cuts, and every dollar diverted from American families to Trump's priorities'.
The $1bn is intended for the US Secret Service to spend on security enhancements related to the 'East Wing modernization project'. Trump has claimed the ballroom itself, estimated to cost $400m, will be funded by donations from individuals and major businesses including Meta, Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Palantir, Google and Comcast.
Republicans are advancing the legislation using the reconciliation procedure, which can circumvent a filibuster by Democrats in the Senate and pass with a simple majority. Schumer said Democrats would propose amendments and challenge its compliance with rules, aiming to force Republican lawmakers into positions that could hurt them with voters ahead of midterm elections.
The immigration spending bill is a key part of the Republican plan that saw Congress vote to reopen the Department of Homeland Security after a 75-day funding impasse. Democrats had refused to approve appropriations unless the Trump administration agreed to new restrictions on immigration enforcement, but no compromise was reached.
