Republican leaders in the Senate are expected to remove controversial language seeking $1 billion in security enhancements for the White House ballroom after it became clear the provision did not have enough support to survive in the underlying immigration bill.
Senate Republicans are working to update the $70 billion immigration funding package, with plans to tee up debate and votes sometime Thursday. But the process of rewriting the bill hit some snags on Wednesday, resulting in canceled votes as Republicans work to remove the provision for funding related to the East Wing Modernization Project due to objections from Democrats as well as some Republicans.
“We’re going back to square one,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told reporters on Wednesday after a closed-door meeting with Republicans. “The votes are not there. If we go forward, we will lose.”
Parliamentarian weighs in on ballroom
Republicans included the $1 billion spending provision in the first draft of the bill earlier this month, but it was stripped out by the Senate parliamentarian who ruled it did not adhere to rules that would exempt it from the 60-vote filibuster. Authors of the bill sought to adjust the language but ultimately removed the provision altogether due to a lack of support among GOP ranks.
The decision risks angering President Donald Trump, who has personally lobbied Republicans to include the funding in the larger package. The ballroom project has become a top priority for the president, especially after an assassination attempt against him at the White House Correspondents Dinner last month.
Trump has since called for Republicans to fire the parliamentarian, writing in a lengthy Truth Social post on Wednesday that she is “brutal to Republicans, but not so to the Democrats.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., brushed off the idea that the parliamentarian was standing in Republicans’ way, noting the ballroom funding was opposed by a handful of Republicans already.
“There may be some issues related to the parliamentarian, but most of the issues we have here are the votes,” Thune said in relation to the ballroom security funding. “The thing we’re dealing with here, it’s vote count.”
Utah Sen. John Curtis was among the handful of Republicans who was skeptical about the ballroom funding, telling the Deseret News last week the $1 billion price tag has raised questions about whether it’s justified.
Republicans are hoping to put the final package on the floor as soon as Thursday, kicking off a marathon voting session known as a vote-a-rama. During that process, Democrats can introduce an unlimited number of amendments, meaning the process could take hours of debate before a final vote is scheduled.
But that schedule could be delayed after Republicans still did not have finalized text on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, GOP leaders in the House say they want to act on the immigration funding bill as soon as it passes the Senate. Top Republicans are worried if they leave the bill until Friday or Saturday, it could be weighed down by attendance issues as lawmakers leave town for the Memorial Day recess.