Senate Republicans released legislation late Monday that would allocate $1 billion to the U.S. Secret Service for security upgrades tied to President Donald Trump’s planned East Wing ballroom, folding the funding into a broader bill to finance Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operations. The bill states the money would support “security adjustments and upgrades” related to the ballroom project, “including above-ground and below-ground security features,” while explicitly barring its use for non-security construction elements.
The proposal follows the April 25 arrest of Cole Tomas Allen, who authorities say brought firearms and knives to the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in what was described as an assassination attempt. Allen has been charged in the matter, according to the Associated Press.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle praised the funding inclusion for what he called a “long overdue” project, saying it would give the Secret Service “the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex.”
It is unclear exactly how the $1 billion would be allocated, and the figure substantially exceeds the proposed $400 million cost for the ballroom’s construction. The White House has said in court documents that the project would be “heavily fortified” with bomb shelters, military installations, and a medical facility underneath the ballroom. Trump has said the structure should feature bulletproof glass and the ability to repel drone attacks.
The ballroom money is attached to a larger funding vehicle for ICE and Border Patrol. Democrats have blocked appropriations for both agencies since mid-February. Congress approved a bill funding the rest of the Homeland Security Department on April 30, ending a record-long shutdown, but Republicans are now employing a partisan budget process to push through the immigration enforcement dollars on their own, a maneuver that bypasses the 60-vote filibuster threshold. The House has not yet released its companion bill, but the Senate is expected to begin voting on its version next week.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who co-sponsored separate ballroom construction legislation with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said it “would be insane” to hold the correspondents’ dinner at a hotel again, citing the security breach.
Democrats have signaled unified opposition to any public funding for the ballroom. “While Americans are struggling to make ends meet as a result of President Trump’s failed policies, Republicans are focused on providing tens of billions of dollars for the President’s vanity ballroom project and cruel mass deportation campaign,” said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Secret Service.
The White House has maintained that private money would pay for the ballroom’s construction while public funds would cover security measures. Some Republicans have suggested public money cover the entire project, arguing the security breach demonstrates the need for a secure White House event space.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to stop the construction, but a federal appeals court ruled last month that work may continue during the legal challenge.