Topline
Senators are expected to cast their first votes today on $1 billion in funding for President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project—but a small group of Republicans are threatening to block the package.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaks during a news conference following a weekly policy luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
The $1 billion was included as an earmark for the Secret Service in an immigration-enforcement package, with the White House saying the funds would be used for security enhancements in the East Wing modernization package.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said he wouldn’t vote for the ballroom funding “for now,” citing the need for more information on why $1 billion was needed, telling Politico “they just kind of made that number up.”
Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have also expressed skepticism, while Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also told fellow lawmakers earlier this week he wouldn’t vote for the broader immigration enforcement package if the ballroom funding is attached to it, Politico reported.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has also said he’s against spending taxpayer dollars on the ballroom project, though he supports using private donations.
Tangent
Cassidy said Tuesday he wouldn’t support the ballroom project, days after losing his primary to a Trump-backed candidate. Trump endorsed Cassidy’s challenger, Rep. Julia Letlow, in what was widely viewed as retribution for voting to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial.
What To Watch For
The provision to fund Trump’s ballroom project ran into another hurdle over the weekend when the Senate parliamentarian, a nonpartisan rule-keeper, ruled that the bill must be passed with 60 votes, rather than a simple majority, meaning some Democrats would have to support it. Republicans are expected to retool the legislation to ensure the ballroom funding passes. “Redraft. Refine. Resubmit,” a spokesperson for Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., tweeted after the parliamentarian’s ruling.
Key Background
The Trump administration leveled the entire East Wing of the White House to make way for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom and a new underground security complex. Trump initially said the ballroom would cost $200 million, paid for by private donations, but raised the price tag to $400 million. The $1 billion in security funding was included as part of a larger $72 billion immigration enforcement package. The White House has said approximately $220 million of the $1 billion would go toward the East Wing renovations and that the money would be used on security enhancements for the ballroom. Trump said Friday the ballroom would open somewhere around September 2028.
Further Reading
Trump Says U.S. Should Have A Ballroom Like China—Says It’ll Open In September 2028 (Forbes)
Trump Claims Ballroom Project Is ‘Under Budget’ Despite $1 Billion Request (Forbes)