Senate Republicans pull $1 billion Secret Service funding for Trump's White House Ballroom project
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Senate Republicans pull $1 billion Secret Service funding for Trump's White House Ballroom project")
US President Donald Trump speaks to the media alongside posters of his proposed White House ballroom amid construction at the White House on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC Photograph: (AFP)
Senate Republicans drop $1 billion Secret Service funding tied to Donald Trump’s ballroom project amid legal, procedural, and political backlash
Donald Trump suffered a political setback on Wednesday (May 20) after Senate Republicans moved to remove a $1 billion Secret Service funding request linked to his White House ballroom project from a broader immigration enforcement bill. “We were told that the ballroom money is out,” said Sen. John Kennedy, adding he’d “like to read the text.” The decision followed a ruling by Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who determined that the provision did not comply with budget reconciliation rules because it extended beyond the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee.
The funding removal was also influenced by growing Republican resistance in the Senate, where several lawmakers raised concerns about including financing tied to the White House ballroom project in an immigration-focused bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Republicans during a closed-door lunch that both procedural issues and a lack of sufficient votes were barriers to keeping the funding provision, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
Kennedy and other GOP senators indicated the entire Secret Service funding section would likely be dropped. Thune later said discussions were ongoing and no final legislative text had been agreed upon. The draft bill had specifically referenced the East Wing Modernization Project, allowing part of the $1 billion in Secret Service funding to be used for “above-ground and below-ground security features” connected to the ballroom initiative. The White House had pushed for the inclusion, viewing it as implicit congressional backing for the broader project, which is currently facing legal challenges after a federal judge ruled it had not been properly authorized.
Earlier drafts of legislative text were reportedly provided to senators by the administration, according to Thune.
Behind the scenes, Republicans are reportedly bracing for a strong reaction from Trump, who had already called for MacDonough’s removal in a post on Truth Social.
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Officials said only about $220 million of the proposed funding was expected to directly support ballroom-related security upgrades and White House “hardening,” but questions remained among senators. With deadlines approaching, Republicans are now rushing to finalise immigration legislation for Trump’s approval this week.
However, the political tensions extend beyond the funding dispute. Democrats are preparing amendments targeting a Justice Department “anti-weaponization” fund created through a settlement involving Trump, which could be used for political ally compensation. Some Republicans believe those amendments could gain bipartisan support, further complicating the bill’s passage.
