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)
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.
