Senate GOP moves to fund ballroom security, ICE, Border Patrol
The lawmakers want to fund Secret Service security upgrades related to President Trump’s ballroom as part of a nearly $72 billion package that would “shovel cash” to immigration enforcement agencies, says Politico.
The proposal Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans unveiled late Monday night — a piece of the forthcoming bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol under reconciliation, avoiding a filibuster — would direct $1 billion to the Secret Service for “security adjustments and upgrades,” including at the White House. That's on top of the almost $3.3 billion the agency received already under the fiscal 2026 DHS funding bill signed into law Thursday, Politico says.
The White House on Tuesday touted the security funding inclusion, which it views as Congress approving a project that's currently mired in litigation, according to Politico. A federal judge ruled last month that legislators hadn't properly authorized the project.
The fund could be used for Secret Service “enhancements” related to the ballroom project, “including above-ground and below-ground security features.” The text released by the Senate Judiciary Republicans stipulates that the funds can't be used for nonsecurity aspects of the project.
Clare Slattery, a spokesperson for Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, says the bill “does not fund ballroom construction” but “provides funds for Secret Service enhancements that will ensure all presidents, their families and their staffs are adequately protected.”
All of the funds would remain available through Sept. 30, 2029, past the end of Trump’s term, Politico says.
The Senate Judiciary Committee text provides that the panel’s piece of the package would amount to nearly $39.2 billion, which includes nearly $2.5 billion for the Justice Department and Secret Service on top of DHS funding. A separate title from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee would provide $32.5 billion, bringing the total to $71.7 billion in new funding, says Roll Call.
Under the combined package, Immigration and Customs Enforcement would get about $38.2 billion, and Customs and Border Protection would get a little more than $26 billion, Roll Call says.
Republicans want to bring the immigration enforcement spending measure to the floor the week of May 18, says Politico.
In addition to criticizing Republicans over the ballroom project, Democrats are planning to comb through the legislation for any procedural defects they can exploit, Politico says. To avoid the Senate's 60-vote filibuster, a reconciliation bill has to comply with strict guidelines known as the Byrd rule.
“Senate Democrats are prepared to review this bill line by line and vigorously challenge any provision that violates the Byrd Rule,” says Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee.
“At a time when gas prices are rising every day due to Trump’s war of choice with Iran and families continue to struggle to buy groceries, Republicans are ignoring the needs of middle-class America and instead funneling money into Trump’s ballroom and throwing billions at two lawless agencies — agencies that are already sitting on over $100 billion in unspent funds,” Merkley says.
As usual, here’s the information contact your lawmakers:
You can call the Capitol switchboard, (202) 224-3121, and be connected to the offices of your representative and senators. To email your House member and your two senators, you can connect to their websites at Congress.gov. Most lawmakers seem to only accept emails from their constituents, but these leaders accept emails from Americans nationwide, at:
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune
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