Trump Says His Ballroom Will Cost $400m. So Why Are Republicans Adding $1b To Spending Bill?

Republicans’ planned Homeland Security spending measure has go nan latest sticking constituent for President Donald Trump’s projected White House ballroom.

But nan apical Republican legislator down nan matter says it’s not for nan ballroom. This comes contempt Trump and nan White House stressing nan ballroom’s necessity for information aft the shooting astatine nan White House Correspondents’ Dinner past week.

On Monday evening, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released nan legislative matter for its portion of nan projected reconciliation bill.

Republicans dream to walk an further spending measure to money Immigration and Customs Enforcement arsenic good arsenic Customs and Border Protection aft Democrats opposed including backing successful nan yearly Homeland Security spending bill.

But nan measure besides sets speech money $1 cardinal betwixt nan fiscal years of 2026 and 2029 “for nan purposes of information adjustments and upgrades” wrong nan perimeter of nan White House Compound to support enhancements by nan U.S. Secret Service “relating to nan East Wing Modernization Project.”

The East Wing Modernization Project is nan charismatic sanction for nan White House’s ballroom project. The president has said nan ballroom would costs $400 cardinal and has said successful nan past nan money would travel from backstage donations.

But Grassley’s spokesperson said nan money would not spell toward nan ballroom, pointing to portion of nan legislative matter that says “None of nan costs made disposable nether this conception whitethorn beryllium utilized for non-security elements of nan East Wing Modernization Project.”

“It provides costs for Secret Service enhancements, including, but not constricted to information enhancements related to nan East Wing Modernization Project,” Hannah Akey, a spokesperson for Grassley, told The Independent over email. “This basal backing will guarantee each presidents, their families and their staffs are adequately protected.”

Akey said nan money would beryllium for securing nan White House compound and really it must beryllium secured during nan existent threat environment.

“After 3 attempted assassinations against nan existent president, it’s clearer than ever that investing successful Secret Service is essential,” Akey said.

Trump has made building nan ballroom a awesome privilege of his presidency, going connected a late-night social media reposting spree astir nan facility.

But immediately, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), nan apical Democrat connected nan Judiciary Committee,

“While Americans are struggling to make ends meet arsenic a consequence of President Trump’s grounded policies, Republicans are focused connected providing tens of billions of dollars for nan President’s vanity ballroom task and sadistic wide deportation campaign,” Durbin said successful a statement. “Republicans are successful threat of losing power of Congress successful November, truthful they are going extracurricular nan accustomed bipartisan appropriations process to money these unpopular policies done nan extremity of nan Trump Administration.”

But moreover aft nan shooting astatine nan meal successful April, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos canvass showed that only 28 percent of respondents supported nan thought of a ballroom.