Washington– A proposal to fund $1 billion in security additions to the White House campus and the President’s Campus New dance hall He fails to meet procedural rules, according to the Senate parliamentarian, which is a blow to him Republican plans To be included as part of a bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies for the next three years.
The House ruling, described by Senate Democrats late Saturday, said funding for a project as large and complex as President Donald Trump’s massive East Wing renovation is too broad to be included in the narrow GOP budget bill, which cannot be filibustered and only needs a simple majority to pass.
It is unclear whether Republicans will be able to immediately save any part of the district Multi-billion dollar Secret Service proposalwhich would fund security for Trump Hall along with other parts of the White House, including a new visitor screening center, additional training for agents and additional reinforcements for large events. Republicans said Saturday night they were reviewing the legislation on the advice of the parliamentarian.
Ryan Wars, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, wrote in a post on X that “none of this is abnormal” during the complex budget process Republicans are using to try to pass immigration enforcement and White House security funds. On a party basis.
Firas said in this post: “Reword. Refine. Resubmit.”
Democrats took advantage of the security request and accused Republicans of allocating precious federal resources to the hall’s efforts instead of focusing on helping Americans achieve security. High costs. Republicans insist that private donations will be used to build the hall and that federal dollars focus only on much-needed security improvements.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took credit for the ruling after Democrats argued before the House. parliamentary That escrow money does not belong on the invoice.
“Republicans tried to get taxpayers to foot the bill for Trump’s billion-dollar hall,” Schumer said Saturday evening. “Senate Democrats fought back — and blew their first attempt.”
Schumer added that Democrats “would be prepared to stop them again” as Republicans say they will review the bill.
The ruling by the Senate parliamentarian is merely advisory, but such rulings are rarely ignored when lawmakers draft legislation that can be passed by a simple majority. Most bills are subject to a filibuster and thus need 60 votes to pass — meaning Republicans must find some Democratic support in the 53-47 Senate.
Republicans are looking to approve a roughly $72 billion package to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection through the end of Trump’s term after Democrats blocked the money for months.
As part of this package, Republicans allocated $1 billion for security enhancements at the White House, part of which is related to the new Trump Hall. The Secret Service had requested the money after a man was charged Trump assassination attempt At the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last month.
The omnibus budget package provides another boost in funding for Trump’s immigration and deportation agenda, fueling operations through September 2029. This comes in addition to money for ICE and Border Patrol that Congress provided last year in the big budget. Tax exemptions bill Trump signed the law.
The parliamentarian kept most of the immigration portion of the legislation intact, though blocked some minor provisions, including money for Customs and Border Patrol to hire, train and pay Border Patrol agents. Republicans said these are just technical fixes.
“Democrats are prepared to challenge any change to this bill,” Oregon State Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, said Saturday evening.
Merkley said Americans should not spend “a dime” on Trump’s “Louis XIV-style hall and spend tens of billions more on two lawless agencies.”
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Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.