Seven GOP senators back blocking construction of Trump’s ballroom
More than half a dozen Republican senators voted against their party to support a Democratic move to prevent President Donald Trump from building an East wing ballroom without Congress’s approval. The effort failed because it did not reach the 60-vote threshold.
Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Jerry Moran, Dan Sullivan, Thom tillis, Jon Husted, and Bill Cassidy backed the ban, but the amendment to the GOP’s $70 billion immigration enforcement bill still fell short on a 53-46 vote. The measure would have blocked federal funds (and private donations) for the construction unless Trump received congressional approval.
the ballroom funding fight also intersected with the filibuster-skirting reconciliation process, where Republicans were initially trying to allocate $220 million for security but ultimately had to remove the money due to opposition and procedural constraints.Separately, Collins, Husted, and Sullivan also broke with republicans on an earlier vote to restrict the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization” fund.
More than a half-dozen Republican senators bucked their party Thursday to support a Democratic effort to prohibit the construction of President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-built East Wing ballroom without congressional approval.
Those seven members were Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jon Husted (R-OH), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). Still, the endeavor needed 60 votes and was defeated.
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The undertaking came in the form of an amendment to the GOP’s $70 billion immigration enforcement bill that Republicans initially tried to use for $220 million in ballroom security funding for the project. However, they were ultimately forced to strip the money due to opposition and the strict rules of the filibuster-skirting reconciliation process.
The amendment would have banned the use of federal funds and private donations to construct the ballroom unless Trump received the green light from Congress. The tally was 53-46.
THREE REPUBLICANS BUCK GOP AS SENATE DEFEATS ATTEMPT TO BLOCK TRUMP ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND
Collins, Husted, and Sullivan, who are all up for reelection in battleground states, also broke with their party on an earlier amendment to thwart the creation of the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization” fund. Cassidy, who recently lost his primary, received consent to change his position in favor of the amendment after the vote had closed.
“Trump has fought for his ballroom harder than he’s ever fought to lower your costs,” the office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement. “Congress should be a check on Trump’s corruption.”
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