Senate Republicans have decided to remove a $1 billion Secret Service funding request for President Donald Trump’s East Wing ballroom project from their immigration enforcement bill, marking a setback for the White House.
Secret Service Funding Dropped
Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) confirmed Wednesday that the funding for the ballroom project would be omitted, though he said he still wanted to review the final text. The move comes after multiple concerns surfaced within the GOP.
The provision had explicitly mentioned the East Wing Modernization Project, specifying that part of the $1 billion could be used for “above-ground and below-ground security features” of the ballroom. For the White House, passage of the bill with this language would have amounted to congressional approval of the project, which is currently facing legal challenges after a federal judge ruled it had not been properly authorised.
Parliamentary and Political Challenges
The decision followed two main setbacks. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that the provision did not comply with the strict rules for bills that bypass the filibuster, as it funded activities outside the Judiciary Committee’s jurisdiction.
Additionally, several Republican senators publicly objected to including the ballroom funding in a bill otherwise dedicated to immigration enforcement. Private GOP opposition grew stronger after Trump endorsed Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Texas GOP primary runoff.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Republican senators that both the parliamentary ruling and the uncertain vote count posed obstacles to including the funding. Discussions were ongoing, and the bill text was not finalised.
White House and Trump Reaction
The White House had earlier indicated that only $220 million of the $1 billion in Secret Service funding would potentially support the ballroom project, with the remainder going toward general White House security improvements. Despite this clarification, GOP senators still had unanswered questions about the language.
Republicans privately anticipate a strong reaction from Trump. Before the funding decision, the former president had called for MacDonough’s removal in a Truth Social post.
Continuing Challenges for the Immigration Bill
Removing the Secret Service funding does not resolve all political hurdles. Democrats are expected to propose an amendment targeting a Justice Department “anti-weaponization” fund, created under a settlement with Trump, which could be used to compensate the president’s political allies. Republicans believe this amendment may gain enough GOP support to be added to the bill.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between the White House and Senate Republicans as they work to finalise the immigration enforcement legislation.
