President Donald Trump’s pet project hangs by a thread.
The political risks of spending taxpayer money on parts of a new White House ballroom have rattled congressional Republicans, who have questioned whether $1 billion in security funding for the Secret Service can be approved — even as officials from the Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security and the White House campaigned on Capitol Hill to justify its need amid growing threats.
Senate Republicans, including party leaders, are discussing potential changes to the multibillion-dollar program to address members’ concerns and await a ruling from House lawmakers on whether it can be included in a Republican partisan immigration enforcement funding bill. No final decision has been made, but options include reducing the funding amount.
In an interview about the security funding talks, Majority Leader John Thune said the discussion was focused on “how to get 50 votes in the Senate.” “Obviously, what happened to the congressman also had a lot to do with how things unfolded.”
Senate aides will meet with Rep. Elizabeth McDonough on Friday to file a lawsuit against parts of the legislation that include Secret Service funding, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity. Senators generally followed McDonough’s interpretation of the “Byrd Rule,” which sets out what is allowed under the Budget Reconciliation Act.
Republicans across the Capitol were also on alert toward the end of the session, which was, in Hill’s words, a “Byrd bath.” McDonough ruled Thursday that other parts of the bill she had reviewed did not pass muster, though Republican staff will try to rewrite them to comply in the coming days.
“We want to see what the Senate is going to do because they … have to go through the Byrd bath, which is not a House process,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said. “Right now, I don’t think people are going to judge because they don’t know what the final product in the Senate is going to look like.”
Asked about concerns among some Republican members about the political impact of public funding for ballrooms, Scalise responded: “There are a lot of meetings going on.”
“There are a lot of these conversations, but we’re still in the early stages because we don’t know what the final product is going to look like,” he added.
Republican leaders expressed confidence that McDonough would approve the Secret Service provision, which would direct funds to “security adjustments and upgrades.” But some, including Senate Homeland Security Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.), have predicted the bill could come and are awaiting her ruling before deciding whether to support it.
Reconciliation rules state that all parts of the bill must have a direct impact on the federal budget, and they must also fall under the jurisdiction of committees designated in the budget framework Republicans approved last month. Democrats are expected to argue that the security provision should be removed because it involved a bitter court battle and was drafted by the Judiciary Committee, which has no jurisdiction over White House construction projects, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity.
MacDonald could decide the entire provision must be eliminated, or she could target parts of it, such as language specifically mentioning the East Wing project.
Even if such rhetoric passes McDonough’s test, Republican leaders in the House and Senate face internal unease — and in some cases outright opposition — that could threaten security funding.
Several Republican senators want more details on how the Secret Service will use funds related to the East Wing project. The Judiciary Committee’s language only states that it can be used for “above and underground safety features” but not for “non-safety elements.”
A document submitted to Republican senators on Tuesday made clear that funding for the White House project would not exceed $220 million, and listed some examples of how the money could be spent on the project, such as for bulletproof glass. This failed to calm concerns.
“I think the White House is trying to get more details. But I think what’s clear is that there’s security in the East Wing, but there’s a lot of additional bells and whistles from the Secret Service,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
Another Republican senator, speaking on condition of anonymity, added candidly: “You can’t just give us a round number and say, ‘We need a billion dollars.'”
Thune said part of the $1 billion is intended to meet “pretty long-term and pent-up needs” at the Secret Service, requiring additional resources in addition to funds dedicated to the East Wing. But the requests prompted Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-Maine) to question why they did not go through the normal government funding process.
Under reconciliation rules, Republicans would be subject to unlimited amendment debate before passing the bill. Democrats are expected to introduce a proposal to cut $1 billion, which could succeed if four Republicans join all Democrats in voting.
Asked whether leaders had the votes to pass the bill, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) noted that two committees are scheduled to take action on the bill next week before it comes to a vote.
“You’re asking what’s going to happen with Thursday night’s Rama vote,” Barrasso said of the amendment extravaganza, noting that it’s “still a few days away.”
The ballroom issue could come to a head sooner when the Senate Budget Committee meets next week to prepare the bill. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, a member of the panel, wants to reduce the overall size of the immigration enforcement bill to offset the impact of including $1 billion in security requirements.
If the funding makes it through the Senate, its approval in the House is also uncertain. The prospect of voting next week to approve hundreds of millions of dollars for White House and ballroom security has alarmed some politically vulnerable Republicans.
“I’m not making a commitment one way or the other until we know more about how it’s going to be distributed,” Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) said in an interview Thursday.
In closed-door meetings earlier this week, House Republicans in imperiled seats pressed Secret Service Director Sean Curran and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for more details on the White House portion of the $220 million security request. Both said they would provide relevant information.
Bresnahan said he was still waiting to see the detailed list, while also hinting that he hoped the matter would resolve itself.
“That’s easily ruled out by Bird,” he added, referring to McDonough’s ruling.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who warned earlier this week that ballroom funding was “not happening” in the immigration bill, said Thursday he was listening to his constituents and would not budge.
“They want DHS funding, they want ICE reform, they don’t want taxpayer dollars going to dance clubs,” Fitzpatrick said.
But Trump and his deputies have repeatedly successfully bullied Republican lawmakers into submission in the past, and the White House’s pressure campaign on ballroom funding is making some progress, according to six people involved in the conversations.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) initially expressed concern about the idea on Tuesday, saying, “I don’t think it’s wise.” Hours later, after meeting with Mullin, Bacon softened his view, arguing that the ballroom project wouldn’t be “as much money” as he thought.
Other House Republicans facing tight races are facing intense pressure from the White House to approve the funding and have privately said they are likely to do so. One thing troubling Republican lawmakers is the spate of assassination attempts on Trump and an overall rise in political violence.
“We know there is an emerging, completely different threat environment, even [versus] Just five years ago,” one person said. “So we have to make sure we have the right resources in place across the full spectrum of infrastructure capabilities. “
Ali Bianco, Mia McCarthy, Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.
