Senate Republicans have formally abandoned their attempt to allocate $1bn for security improvements at Donald Trump's White House ballroom, after the proposal threatened to derail a $70bn immigration enforcement bill. The revised Secure America Act, advanced on a party-line vote of 53-46 on Wednesday, no longer includes the funding.
The ballroom security provision had sparked a major standoff, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer vowing to fight it. The funding faced procedural hurdles after the Senate parliamentarian ruled it did not comply with budget reconciliation rules, and Trump's separate $1.8bn 'anti-weaponization' fund drew GOP objections.
On Tuesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the administration was dropping the ballroom request. The revised bill allocates $13bn to Customs and Border Protection, $31bn to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and $2.5bn to the Department of Homeland Security for immigration enforcement.
Schumer credited Democrats for forcing the change, but called the bill 'rotten through and through'. He threatened to use 'vote-a-rama' to force Republicans into tough votes on Trump's policies. A White House official downplayed the exclusion, citing the parliamentarian's earlier decision.
Trump has said the ballroom's $400m construction cost will be covered by private donors, but his administration had sought taxpayer funds for Secret Service security. Some Republicans were uneasy about the spending amid high gas prices linked to the Iran war.
