Donald Trump’s proposal for a heavily secured White House ballroom has run into a major setback after a $1 billion funding request was blocked on procedural grounds.
Republicans had tried to include the money for White House security upgrades, partly linked to Trump’s planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom, inside a broader immigration enforcement bill. However, the Senate parliamentarian ruled late Saturday that the funding request was too broad to fit inside the limited Republican budget measure, which can pass with only a simple majority.
The decision gave Democrats an early win in what is expected to become a fierce fight over the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer quickly claimed victory.
“Republicans tried to make taxpayers pay for Trump’s billion-dollar ballroom,” Schumer said Saturday evening.
“Senate Democrats fought back and stopped their first attempt.”
He also warned that Democrats would be ready to block future efforts if Republicans revised the proposal.
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