A proposal to fund $1 billion in security additions for the White House campus and the president’s new ballroom fails to meet procedural rules.
2 children found dead in burned vehicle; mother charged with capital murder, San Antonio police say Bexar County Sheriff encourages struggling parents to ask for help after father breaks 2-month-old’s femur Window company owner who left San Antonio to avoid disgruntled customers arrested on felony theft chargesHouston seafood chain exits San Antonio after shuttering final two locationsWork continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood.
The parliamentarian's ruling, described late Saturday by Senate Democrats, said that funding for a project as large and complex as President Donald Trump's massive East Wing renovation is too broad to be included in the narrow GOP budget bill, which cannot be filibustered and only needs a simple majority to pass. , which would fund security for Trump's ballroom along with other parts of the White House, including a new visitor screening center, additional training for agents and extra reinforcements for large events.
Republicans said Saturday night that they are revising the legislation based on the parliamentarian's advice. Ryan Wrasse, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, wrote in a post on X that “none of this is abnormal” during the complicated budget process that Republicans are using to try and pass the immigration enforcement and White House security moneyDemocrats celebrate and say they will stop it again Democrats have seized on the security request, accusing Republicans of dedicating precious federal resources to the ballroom effort instead of focusing on helping Americans with.
Republicans have insisted that private donations will be used to build the ballroom and that the federal dollars are focused just on much-needed security enhancements.
“Republicans tried to make taxpayers foot the bill for Trump’s billion-dollar ballroom," Schumer said Saturday evening. “Senate Democrats fought back — and blew up their first attempt. ” Schumer added that Democrats “will be ready to stop them again” as Republicans say they will revise the bill. The ruling from the Senate parliamentarian is just advisory, but such rulings are rarely if ever ignored when lawmakers put together legislation that can pass with a simple majority.
Most bills are subject to a filibuster and thus need 60 votes for passage — meaning Republicans must find some Democratic support in the 53-47 Senate. Republicans are looking to approve a roughly $72 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection until the end of Trump's term after Democrats have blocked the money for months.
As part of that package, Republicans included $1 billion for White House security enhancements, part of it connected to Trump's new ballroom. The Secret Service had requested the money after a man was charged withThe overall budget package is providing another boost of funding for Trump's immigration and deportation agenda, fueling operations through September 2029.
It comes on top of ICE and Border Patrol funds Congress provided last year in the big The parliamentarian kept most of the immigration portion of the legislation intact, though some minor provisions were blocked, including Customs and Border Patrol funds to hire, train and pay Border Patrol agents. Republicans said those were only technical fixes. Oregon Sen.
Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said Saturday evening that “Democrats are prepared to challenge any change to this bill. ” Americans shouldn't spend “a single dime” on Trump's “Louis XIV-style ballroom and throw tens of billions more at two lawless agencies," Merkley said. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Senate parliamentarian deals blow to $1 billion security proposal for White HouseA proposal to fund $1 billion in security additions for the White House campus and the president’s new ballroom fails to meet procedural rules, according to the Senate parliamentarian.
Read more »
Senate parliamentarian deals blow to $1 billion security proposal for White HouseA proposal to fund $1 billion in security additions for the White House campus and the president’s new ballroom fails to meet procedural rules, according to the Senate parliamentarian.
Read more »