GOP weighs ditching White House security funding over ballroom
Senate Republicans where debating whether to cut all or part of $1 billion in Secret Service-related security funding from a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill. The money is largely tied to security for Trump’s under-construction East Wing ballroom, which Republicans worry about politically because Trump has said the project would ultimately be funded by private donors.
Sen. John Kennedy said he believes the votes aren’t there and that at least some of the security funding may already have been removed. About $220 million of the $1 billion was intended specifically for security around the ballroom, while the remainder would go to broader White House upgrades, including visitor screening, training and protection for protectees, responses to drone/biological threats, and enhanced security at major events.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said no final decision had been made, but acknowledged Republicans face hurdles in assembling the 50 votes needed. Republicans had not released updated bill text by Wednesday evening and planned to push back the start of extensive amendment voting until Thursday.
Senate Republicans were weighing on Wednesday whether to remove all or part of $1 billion for White House security funding from their $70 billion party-line immigration enforcement bill over concerns about President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-built East Wing ballroom.
The consideration comes amid GOP heartburn over the optics of providing taxpayer money for a project Trump has long promised would be funded through private donors. Over the weekend, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the provision would need to be rewritten to pass with only a simple majority under the so-called reconciliation process.
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Republicans could remove some or all of the money that was earmarked for the Secret Service, according to Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).
“My understanding is the votes were not there,” Kennedy said. “My understanding is that the security money has come out.”
Roughly $220 million of the $1 billion earmarked for funding is slated for security around and near the under-construction ballroom. The rest of the money would be used for upgrades to the broader White House complex, including $180 million for a “long overdue” visitor screening facility; $350 million to be split evenly between training and enhanced security for protectees; $150 million for emerging drone and biological threats; and $100 million for increased security at high-profile events.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said a determination was not final but acknowledged the headwinds among Republicans against the controversial funding criticized by senators ranging from centrists to fiscal conservatives.
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“It’s always a question of when we can get 50 votes, and that’s a function of several different considerations at this point,” Thune said. “There’s a couple of snags — snafus, if you will — that we’ve run into.”
Republicans had yet to release updated bill text as of Wednesday evening and were on track to delay the start of a marathon amendment voting process until Thursday.
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