{"id":2603588,"date":"2026-05-16T22:24:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T02:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-parliamentarian-deals-setback-to-ballroom-security-funding\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T22:26:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T02:26:46","slug":"senate-parliamentarian-deals-setback-to-ballroom-security-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-parliamentarian-deals-setback-to-ballroom-security-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate parliamentarian deals setback to ballroom security funding"},"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\">16<\/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%2Fsenate-parliamentarian-deals-setback-to-ballroom-security-funding%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=2603588&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>The Senate parliamentarian has removed roughly $1 billion in White House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/major-china-bill-puts-military-in-a-crunch\/\" title=\"Major China Bill Puts Military in a Crunch\">security funding<\/a> from Republicans\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nikki-haley-ends-white-house-bid\/\" title=\"Nikki Haley withdraws from ... race\">immigration enforcement bill<\/a>, casting more doubt on whether Congress will approve the money, including funds largely tied to President Donald Trump\u2019s planned East Wing ballroom. The decision is part of a \u201cByrd bath\u201d process that determines what provisions can bypass the filibuster threshold.<\/p>\n<p>republicans say they may still revise the bill\u2019s language to try to meet the strict rules for budget reconciliation, and some signaled they will pursue that path. Even if revisions survive, the provision\u2019s outcome is uncertain because several Republicans do not yet support using taxpayer funds for the ballroom-related security costs, and Senate leadership can only afford to lose a limited number of votes.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats argue the ballroom is an unneeded vanity project and plan to continue challenging the funding,including through floor votes slated for next week. There\u2019s also uncertainty about whether House Republicans will accept the provision, which was added late after a shooting at the White House correspondents\u2019 dinner.<\/p>\n<p>Behind the scenes, the Trump administration has stepped up outreach to skeptical lawmakers, briefing Senate and House Republicans on the security funding and messaging efforts to build support, while Democrats frame any approval as effectively endorsing the ballroom project.  <\/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>The Senate parliamentarian has struck millions in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a> security funding out of Republicans\u2019 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ice\/\">immigration enforcement<\/a> bill, sowing further doubt about whether the money will be approved by Congress later this month.<\/p>\n<p>The Saturday decision, part of a \u201cByrd bath\u201d that sorts out what language can skirt the filibuster\u2019s 60-vote threshold, may be a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fauci-says-more-pain-and-suffering-to-come\/\" title=\"Fauci Says More \u2018Pain And Suffering... To Come\">temporary setback<\/a>. Republicans can submit legislative tweaks to Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough aimed at meeting the strict rules of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/budget-reconciliation\/\">reconciliation<\/a>, a budget process that lets them sidestep Democratic opposition, and have <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RWrasse\/status\/2055827258015654025?s=20\">signaled<\/a> they will do so.<\/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\/news\/senate\/4571355\/senate-parliamentarian-trump-ballroom-security-funding\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Senate parliamentarian deals setback to Trump\u2019s ballroom security funding<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4568646\/republicans-warm-netanyahu-plan-end-us-military-aid-israel\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Republicans warm to Netanyahu plan to end US military aid to Israel<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4570211\/congress-moves-raise-capitol-police-retirement-age\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Congress moves to raise Capitol Police retirement age<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>\u201cConversations and revisions are continuing, as they have been for days,\u201d said a Senate Judiciary Committee spokesperson.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Its fate, however, remains unclear even if revised language survives a challenge from Democrats, who are seeking to derail the legislation ahead of a floor vote slated for next week. Several Senate Republicans are publicly undecided on whether to approve the $1 billion for the Secret Service, much of which is earmarked for President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> planned East Wing ballroom.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have painted the ballroom as an elaborate vanity project and sign that the president is out of touch with voters\u2019 cost-of-living concerns.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4567536\/trump-struggles-to-shake-ballroom-backlash\/\"><strong>TRUMP STRUGGLES TO SHAKE BALLROOM BACKLASH: \u2018WE DON\u2019T HAVE THE MONEY\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There is also uncertainty over whether House Republicans will go along with the provision, a late addition to the bill that came after a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4543512\/terror-at-white-house-correspondents-dinner\/\">shooting at the White House correspondents\u2019 dinner<\/a> last month that appeared to target the president.<\/p>\n<p>The legislation is otherwise focused on providing $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and related agencies, and until now, leadership has been reluctant to expand its scope.<\/p>\n<p>Undecided members have expressed openness to some aspects of the funding, aimed at securing a new East Wing expansion where the ballroom, currently under litigation, is expected to be built. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) told reporters a new checkpoint to screen visitors, estimated to cost $180 million, would be a \u201clegitimate\u201d use of taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n<p>But the price tag has given some Republicans pause, and GOP leadership can only afford to lose three votes on the Senate floor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do think that the effort to have a more <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >user-friendly security entry<\/a> is legitimate to look at,\u201d Murkowski said. \u201cBut if you\u2019re tacking on every ask that the Secret Service wants for the next three years and trying to roll that all into the cover of ballroom renovation, I think our job is to sort this out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump has promised to finance the ballroom with private donations, but Republicans also fear the security funding will be viewed as tacit approval for the project as Democrats promise to make it a campaign attack line.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration began a full-court press to win over reluctant members this week, with Secret Service Director Sean Curran briefing Senate Republicans on Tuesday. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also updated centrist House members on Capitol Hill Wednesday. On Thursday, Curran briefed a group of House Republicans at the White House. <\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4565549\/gop-heartburn-forces-message-pivot-money-trump-ballroom\/\"><strong>GOP PIVOTS \u2018BALLROOM\u2019 MESSAGING IN SECURITY FUNDING FIGHT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The ruling from the Senate parliamentarian comes ahead of multiple committee votes that will tee up the immigration enforcement bill for the Senate floor. That includes a \u201cvote-a-rama\u201d during which Democrats will be given another chance to strip the $1 billion out of the bill.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDemocrats will keep fighting this every way we can \u2014 in the Byrd Bath, on the Senate floor with votes, and anywhere else Republicans try to raid Americans\u2019 hard-earned money for Trump\u2019s gilded palace,\u201d Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a Saturday night statement. \u201cThe contrast couldn\u2019t be clearer: Democrats fight for American families. Republicans fight for Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Senate parliamentarian removed millions from a GOP immigration bill, casting doubt on later congressional approval<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2603589,"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\/01\/AP26009774589135.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[65586,48008,79568,3740,32789],"class_list":["post-2603588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ballroom","tag-parliamentarian","tag-security-funding","tag-senate","tag-setback"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26009774589135.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603588","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\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2603588"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2603592,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603588\/revisions\/2603592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2603589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2603588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2603588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2603588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}