Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for President Donald Trump's planned White House ballroom — at least not when it comes to taxpayer money. Paul said there's a strong chance the $1 billion in federal funding earmarked for security upgrades tied to the East Wing project will get yanked from the Senate budget reconciliation bill before it reaches the floor.
The money, tucked into legislative text from the Senate Judiciary Committee, is meant to cover Secret Service security enhancements for the ballroom. But Paul, whose committee is prepping to mark up part of the reconciliation package focused on immigration enforcement, sees both procedural and political hurdles ahead.
“I'm for still doing it with the private donations,” Paul said, according to The Hill, making clear his preference for how the ballroom and related security work should be funded. He noted there are “a lot of questions” about whether the provision can survive the Senate's Byrd Rule review — the so-called “Byrd Bath” — which determines what can stay in a reconciliation bill that only needs a simple majority to pass. “I think it will have to go through the Byrd Bath and they'll have to decide whether it can be in reconciliation,” Paul added.
Even if the Senate parliamentarian gives the green light, Paul said the funding could still be removed because jurisdiction may fall outside his committee. “I don't think it will be in there, is what my guess is,” he said.
Paul has introduced separate legislation to create an expedited approval process for the White House ballroom and future presidential projects — but without any federal funding. “I'm for funding it with private funds,” he reiterated. His committee has said the bill would authorize construction of the ballroom project, just not with taxpayer dollars.
The drama doesn't stop there. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) postponed a scheduled markup of the reconciliation bill after discussions with Senate leadership and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Judiciary Republicans said HSGAC would take the lead because its rules don't allow the minority to delay business for a week.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) also chimed in on Monday, saying he needs more answers before backing the $1 billion price tag. “I got a lot of questions that got to be answered,” he said. “I'm going to ask basic questions on it.” Tillis warned that the funding could become a political liability as voters worry about food and fuel costs. The Associated Press reported that Republicans have framed the funding as security-related, while Democrats have attacked it as wasteful and inconsistent with Trump's earlier claims that the ballroom would be privately funded.
So for now, the ballroom's fate remains up in the air — caught between Byrd Baths, committee turf wars, and a growing chorus of lawmakers who'd rather see private checks foot the bill.
