Overview
- Senate Republicans formally removed the nearly $1 billion allocation for White House and Secret Service security tied to the East Wing ballroom from their immigration funding text on Wednesday to keep the broader package on track.
- Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough and Senate GOP leaders concluded the ballroom language breached the Byrd Rule by straying beyond reconciliation’s budget focus, a determination that could have allowed Democrats to filibuster and block $70 billion for ICE and border patrol.
- The White House and Secret Service had argued some taxpayer-funded security upgrades were needed after an April attack, while administration officials said only about $200 million of the proposed security money would have applied directly to the East Wing project.
- Senators voiced political concern that funding ballroom-related work with public money would appear out of touch ahead of the midterms, a political calculation that helped drive the decision to excise the language.
- Legal and preservation hurdles to above-ground East Wing work, ongoing debate over how to fund remaining security needs, and changes to the bill’s text all remain active and are likely to shape the next round of amendments and votes.