President Donald Trump’s plans for a major White House ballroom project suffered another setback after the Senate parliamentarian rejected a Republican proposal that included $1 billion in security funding connected to the renovation effort.
The ruling blocked Republicans from including the White House security funding inside a broader GOP budget package focused largely on immigration enforcement and border security initiatives.
According to the report, the Senate parliamentarian determined the White House ballroom funding proposal was too broad and complex to qualify under the narrow budget reconciliation process Republicans are attempting to use in the Senate.
Budget reconciliation legislation can pass the Senate with a simple majority and avoid a filibuster, allowing Republicans to bypass the chamber’s normal 60-vote threshold.
Republicans had hoped the package would help fund additional White House security measures tied partly to Trump’s proposed ballroom project.
The funding request reportedly included security upgrades for the White House complex, a new visitor screening center, expanded Secret Service training and additional reinforcements for major events held on the property.
The administration previously said portions of the requested security funding were directly connected to Trump’s proposed 90,000-square-foot fortified ballroom addition.
Republicans said Saturday night they are already revising the legislation following the parliamentarian’s ruling in hopes of salvaging parts of the proposal.
Ryan Wrasse dismissed concerns about the setback and said procedural revisions are a normal part of the legislative process.
“Redraft. Refine. Resubmit,” Wrasse wrote in a post on X after the ruling was issued.
Democrats quickly celebrated the decision and accused Republicans of prioritizing what they described as Trump’s “vanity” projects over economic concerns facing Americans.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed Democrats successfully argued against including the ballroom security funding inside the immigration package.
“Republicans tried to make taxpayers foot the bill for Trump’s billion-dollar ballroom,” Schumer said after the ruling.
Schumer also warned Democrats would continue opposing future attempts to revive the funding request.
Republicans have insisted private donations would pay for construction of the ballroom itself while taxpayer funding would only support necessary security improvements surrounding the White House complex.
The proposed security funding request followed an attempted assassination incident during last month’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, according to the report.
Trump later referenced that incident while defending plans for the fortified ballroom project.
“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House,” Trump wrote on social media following the shooting incident.
The ballroom project has already faced legal challenges earlier this year, as the Daily Mail reported.
A federal judge previously ordered construction halted after ruling Trump exceeded presidential authority in approving aspects of the project.
However, an appeals court allowed construction to resume April 17 while litigation over the project continues through the court system.
The broader Republican budget package would provide roughly $72 billion in additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the remainder of Trump’s term.
