{"id":2601911,"date":"2026-05-12T19:47:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T23:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-skirts-around-ballroom-label-as-it-advances-white-house-security-funds\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T19:49:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T23:49:14","slug":"gop-skirts-around-ballroom-label-as-it-advances-white-house-security-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-skirts-around-ballroom-label-as-it-advances-white-house-security-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP skirts around &#8216;ballroom&#8217; label as it advances White House security funds"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgop-skirts-around-ballroom-label-as-it-advances-white-house-security-funds%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2601911&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>republicans are steering clear of calling President Trump\u2019s White House security upgrades \u201cballroom\u201d security while pushing a $1 billion security funding provision tied to the East Wing reconstruction. The goal is to counter Democratic claims that the funds are subsidizing a separate $400 million ballroom project. GOP leaders instead refer to the money as part of the \u201ceast Wing Modernization Project,\u201d saying it will be used for secret Service training and comprehensive security upgrades across the White House grounds, including measures like bulletproof glass, drone detection, and filtration systems, along with visitor screening, threat-focused technology, and event security.<\/p>\n<p>Leadership is also trying to keep the provision politically viable as part of a broader party-line $70 billion immigration enforcement package, even as some Republicans worry about the price tag and whether the spending can survive reconciliation rules such as the Byrd Rule. with only limited room for defections in the Senate, lawmakers from across the spectrum are pressing for more details, though others argue the security spending is nonpartisan and will benefit future administrations. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Senate should lead on the final language and emphasized that the funds are intended only for security uses.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>Don\u2019t use the dreaded B-word to describe new <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4557587\/democrats-eye-midterm-elections-opening-trump-ballroom-security-funding-fight\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4557587\/democrats-eye-midterm-elections-opening-trump-ballroom-security-funding-fight\/\">White House security funding<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans are avoiding the \u201cballroom\u201d label as they forge ahead with $1 billion in taxpayer money to harden security for President Donald Trump\u2019s new East Wing reconstruction as part of a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4551691\/tensions-john-thune-mike-johnson-loom-gop-immigration-push\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4551691\/tensions-john-thune-mike-johnson-loom-gop-immigration-push\/\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/border-infighting-consumes-democrats\/\" title=\"Border Infighting Consumes Democrats\">party-line budget bill<\/a><\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance\/4564580\/hochul-new-york-city-budget-gap-mamdani\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Hochul sends NYC another $4 billion to help close city\u2019s budget gap<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4533964\/trump-discussion-irs-deal-tax-record-lawsuit\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump \u2018in discussions\u2019 with IRS to cut deal in tax record lawsuit<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/travel\/4533527\/spirit-airlines-future-uncertain-bankruptcy-pressures-mount\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Spirit Airlines future is uncertain as bankruptcy pressures mount<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>The messaging is meant to push back on Democratic claims that the White House security upgrades are subsidizing the $400 million ballroom project. Trump has repeatedly said the ballroom will be completed through private donations, not taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Instead, Republicans are settling on variations of the ballroom construction\u2019s official name \u2014 East Wing Modernization Project \u2014 to describe the tranche of security money. They say the rhetoric more accurately depicts the funding\u2019s intent for Secret Service training and security upgrades across the White House grounds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not about the ballroom,\u201d Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the East Wing and the new construction and ensuring that that building is secure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Following a meeting between Secret Service Director Sean Curran and Senate Republicans on Tuesday, Thune said about 20% of the $1 billion will be to \u201csecure the modernization of the East Wing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The figure is in line with a summarized breakdown circulated to congressional Republicans about how the Secret Service would use the funding, including $220 million for above- and below-ground security for the East Wing and ballroom. That entails bulletproof glass, drone detection technologies, chemical filtration systems, and \u201cother national security functions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The document also lays out $180 million for a \u201clong overdue\u201d visitor screening facility; $350 million to be split evenly between training enhanced security for protectees; $150 million for emerging drone and biological threats; and $100 million for increased security at high-profile events.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you use that word, I can tell you haven\u2019t read the bill,\u201d Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who crafted the $1 billion funding provision, said of calling it \u201cballroom\u201d security. \u201cThe word\u2019s not in there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But across town at the White House, Trump was doing little to assuage GOP fears that the money is another case of out-of-touch Washington spending that lends Democrats an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/every-pro-life-state-enacted-support-for-pregnant-women-and-families-post-dobbs\/\" title=\"All Pro-Life States Implemented Support for Pregnant Women and Families After Dobbs Ruling\">easy attack line<\/a> in the midterm elections, particularly as the public faces higher inflation and prices at the pump from the war against Iran.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe only thing that matters, when I\u2019m talking about Iran: They can\u2019t have a nuclear weapon. I don\u2019t think about Americans\u2019 financial situation,\u201d Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4565100\/trump-financial-situation-not-motivating-talks-end-iran-war\/\">told reporters<\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t think about anybody.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think about one thing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That\u2019s all. That\u2019s the only thing that motivates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democrats were at the ready to use the latest remarks as a campaign cudgel that Trump \u201cjust said the quiet part out loud,\u201d the Democratic National Committee said.<\/p>\n<p>GOP lawmakers seek to include the $1 billion in a broader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4551691\/tensions-john-thune-mike-johnson-loom-gop-immigration-push\/\">party-line $70 billion immigration enforcement legislation<\/a>. But its ability to remain in the bill is in question on two fronts: whether enough Republicans can stomach the policy and if it can survive the so-called Byrd Rule, which governs spending restrictions in such budget reconciliation measures.<\/p>\n<p>The messaging pivot is meant to make the security funding more politically palatable for on-the-fence GOP lawmakers who say it undercuts their midterm elections affordability rhetoric.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans across the ideological spectrum in the Senate, ranging from centrists such as Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and John Curtis (R-UT) to conservative fiscal hawks such as Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and John Kennedy (R-LA), have expressed reservations and a need for more answers on the price tag. Leadership can only afford three defections in their 53-47 majority in what the GOP hopes will be a successful party-line vote next week.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt was one thing when private dollars were building it. If you\u2019re asking me for $1 billion, I have some really hard questions,\u201d Curtis said. \u201cIf I were a businessman and an employee came and said, \u2018I have a project and it\u2019s a billion dollars,\u2019 I\u2019d say, \u2018You made that number up, right? Like, where did the number come from?\u2019 I want to see data.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another emerging GOP talking point centers on the pitch that the money is for a bipartisan cause that benefits future presidents and their administrations of both parties.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t be a partisan issue,\u201d Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said. \u201cThis is for security, and it even includes funding for the Secret Service, separate and apart from security at the White House. And it\u2019s going to serve presidents of both party, administrations of both parties, for not just now, but for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4565100\/trump-financial-situation-not-motivating-talks-end-iran-war\/\">TRUMP SAYS PEOPLE\u2019S \u2018FINANCIAL SITUATION\u2019 NOT MOTIVATING TALKS TO END IRAN WAR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On the other side of the Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) punted on the security funding. He suggested the Senate should take the lead on the policy details in the reconciliation bill, but also defended the $1 billion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re gonna see what product comes out of the Senate,\u201d Johnson told reporters as he made his way to meet with Senate Republicans at their Tuesday lunch. \u201cThey have three more steps to go through before we get it, so we\u2019ll see. But I mean, the language is very clear. It could only be used on security measures.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GOP avoids \u201cballroom\u201d label on $1B White House security cash<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2601912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26104725633594.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[79569,6203,4762,79568,32127],"class_list":["post-2601911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ballroom-label","tag-gop","tag-legislation","tag-security-funding","tag-white-house"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26104725633594.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2601911"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2601915,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2601911\/revisions\/2601915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2601912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2601911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2601911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2601911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}