WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is pressing Congress to approve $1 billion in security upgrades for the White House campus and the president’s new ballroom, but the proposal is running into stiff resistance from Senate Republicans who control the floor schedule and the votes needed for passage.
The Senate parliamentarian ruled Saturday that the security package did not meet the procedural requirements for inclusion in legislation funding immigration enforcement agencies, forcing GOP leaders to revise the proposal. Even if Republicans succeed in redrafting it to fit the parliamentarian’s standards, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that passage is not guaranteed.
“In the end it’s going to come down to what we have the votes to pass,” Thune told reporters.
The South Dakota Republican said ongoing conversations between the Senate, the House and the White House are aimed at determining what the legislation should look like and what can satisfy the parliamentarian’s criteria. His remarks suggest that the $1 billion request remains an open question within the Republican caucus, with several GOP senators signaling they are unwilling to support the measure.
MSI previously reported that the parliamentarian’s ruling had stalled the security add-on, as GOP leaders scrambled to find a viable path forward through the immigration bill. Senate parliamentarian blocks $1B White House security add-on tied to ballroom.
The White House and the Secret Service have argued the security upgrades are necessary to protect the presidential compound. The U.S. Secret Service has been advocating for the funding, officials said.
But the $1 billion price tag and the inclusion of funding tied to the president’s new ballroom have fueled skepticism among both Democrats and Republicans. Several GOP lawmakers have privately and publicly questioned whether the spending is appropriate, particularly as the party seeks to project fiscal discipline ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The procedural entanglement has deepened tensions between the White House and Senate Republicans, who have been navigating an increasingly fraught relationship over spending priorities, legislative strategy, and the party’s broader agenda ahead of the midterms.
Thune said leadership continues to work with the White House and rank-and-file senators to find a path to passage, but he offered no timeline for when the revised proposal could come to the floor.
“The conversations are ongoing,” Thune said.