Senate Republicans were weighing on Wednesday whether to remove all or part of $1 billion for White House security funding from their $70 billion party-line immigration enforcement bill over concerns about President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-built East Wing ballroom.
The consideration comes amid GOP heartburn over the optics of providing taxpayer money for a project Trump has long promised would be funded through private donors. Over the weekend, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the provision would need to be rewritten to pass with only a simple majority under the so-called reconciliation process.
Republicans could remove some or all of the money that was earmarked for the Secret Service, according to Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).
“My understanding is the votes were not there,” Kennedy said. “My understanding is that the security money has come out.”
Roughly $220 million of the $1 billion earmarked for funding is slated for security around and near the under-construction ballroom. The rest of the money would be used for upgrades to the broader White House complex, including $180 million for a “long overdue” visitor screening facility; $350 million to be split evenly between training and enhanced security for protectees; $150 million for emerging drone and biological threats; and $100 million for increased security at high-profile events.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said a determination was not final but acknowledged the headwinds among Republicans against the controversial funding criticized by senators ranging from centrists to fiscal conservatives.
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“It’s always a question of when we can get 50 votes, and that’s a function of several different considerations at this point,” Thune said. “There’s a couple of snags — snafus, if you will — that we’ve run into.”
Republicans had yet to release updated bill text as of Wednesday evening and were on track to delay the start of a marathon amendment voting process until Thursday.