Trump's $1 billion ballroom funding faces resistance

President Donald Trump’s effort to secure $1 billion in federal funding tied to his White House ballroom project ran into fresh resistance on Wednesday as Senate Republicans prepared for votes on a broader immigration enforcement package. The money was included as a Secret Service earmark tied to security enhancements for the East Wing modernization project, according to Forbes. At least five Republican senators have either opposed or questioned the funding, and a weekend ruling by Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough raised the threshold for passage to 60 votes. Trump has continued to describe the ballroom as “my gift to the United States of America,” even as lawmakers in his own party object to using taxpayer money for part of the project. ### Why is Congress voting on ballroom money if Trump said the project was a gift? The White House said on July 31, 2025 that Trump and other donors had committed to fund the ballroom’s construction, then estimated at about $200 million. That announcement said the Secret Service would handle the needed security enhancements and modifications. The ballroom was described as a 90,000-square-foot addition with seating for 650 people, replacing the East Wing site. (forbes.com) By May 20, 2026, Forbes reported the project’s numbers had shifted. Trump had first put the cost at $200 million, then $400 million, while the Senate package carried $1 billion for Secret Service-related security work tied to the ballroom and East Wing modernization. Forbes reported the White House said about $220 million of that total would go toward East Wing renovations. (whitehouse.gov) ### Which Republicans are resisting the funding? Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said he would not support the ballroom funding “for now,” citing a lack of detail behind the request. Bloomberg Government reported Cassidy told reporters, “Right now, they don’t have a bid, they don’t have engineering, they don’t have architecture. I mean, they literally don’t have a bid,” and added, “They just kind of made the number up.” (forbes.com) Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine have also expressed skepticism, Forbes reported. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told fellow Republicans earlier this week he would oppose the wider immigration package if the ballroom provision remained attached, according to Forbes, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has said he opposes taxpayer funding for the ballroom while supporting private donations instead. (news.bgov.com) POLITICO reported four Republican senators had publicly voiced opposition to funding the project, and said Senate GOP leaders were considering dropping the provision from the bill. That would separate the ballroom fight from the larger immigration package. ### What did the Senate parliamentarian do? Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, ruled over the weekend that the ballroom funding could not pass through the budget reconciliation process with a simple majority, according to Forbes. (forbes.com) That means the provision would need 60 votes if Republicans keep it in the legislation, requiring Democratic support. (politico.com) CNBC and POLITICO separately reported the ruling blocked the original reconciliation path for the Secret Service funding language tied to the ballroom. Senate Democratic aides argued the provision violated the Byrd Rule, which limits what can be included in reconciliation bills. ### How has Trump responded? Trump called on Wednesday for MacDonough to be fired after her ruling complicated the funding path, Forbes reported. (forbes.com) In a Truth Social post described by Forbes, Trump accused Republicans of playing a “very soft game” and complained that figures such as MacDonough were allowed to “stay in power, and brutalize us.” (cnbc.com) On Tuesday, May 19, Trump defended the project in public remarks near the construction site. WBAL-TV quoted him saying, “When this is finished, my term ends shortly after that. This is really for other presidents. This is not for me. This is my gift to the United States of America.” ### What exactly is being built at the White House? The White House said the ballroom would be substantially separated from the main White House building while matching its architectural style. (forbes.com) The July 2025 announcement named McCrery Architects as lead architect, Clark Construction as construction lead and AECOM as engineering lead. The project was expected to begin in September 2025 and finish before the end of Trump’s term. (wbaltv.com) Forbes reported the administration has already leveled the East Wing to make way for the ballroom and a new underground security complex. The White House has framed the federal request as security funding rather than direct construction money, but lawmakers opposing it have focused on the overall scale and the lack of detailed cost support. (whitehouse.gov) ### What happens next on Capitol Hill? John Thune’s office said after the parliamentarian’s ruling that Republicans would “Redraft. Refine. Resubmit,” according to Forbes. POLITICO reported Senate Republicans were weighing whether to remove the ballroom provision from the immigration package altogether. The next test is whether GOP leaders try again with revised language or abandon the ballroom funding to protect the larger $72 billion immigration enforcement bill. (forbes.com) Any renewed effort to keep the provision in the Senate package would have to clear MacDonough’s ruling or win 60 votes on the floor.