Senate Republicans Advance $1 Billion Secret Service Funding Bill

Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul said his preference remains private funding for the project. He noted that Congress had already increased the Secret Service budget after the assassination attempt during the 2024 campaign and questioned whether additional money is needed now.

"That's still my preference," he said, adding that a lot of people think this might be papering over for the ballroom. One senator from Missouri said he had no problem with the funding while a senator from Wyoming said private money would cover construction but taxpayers have a role in the security portion.

House Republicans also raised questions about the Senate plan. The House has not yet released its own bill and some members said they would examine the proposal carefully to ensure it serves the national interest. The Senate bill designates the money for the Secret Service for security adjustments and upgrades related to the ballroom project.

It specifies the funds may support above-ground and below-ground security features but may not be used for non-security elements. The White House has said in court documents that the project would be heavily fortified, including bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom.

The president has said it should include bulletproof glass and be able to repel drone attacks. The president said Friday that the money would be for many projects and not all of it would be for the ballroom. He stated that certain military aspects have nothing to do with the safety of the president but involve other things.

It remains unclear whether the security funding has enough Republican support to advance. Democrats plan to ask the Senate parliamentarian to strike the provision and will offer amendments forcing votes on it if it remains when voting begins next week.

Background on the Project The president has said the construction would cost around $400 million but the White House had not previously proposed a specific number for security costs. The funding request comes after a man was charged with trying to assassinate the president last month.

Lawmakers in both parties sought more detail on how the money would be spent. The legislation ties the security upgrades explicitly to the ballroom while prohibiting use for construction elements unrelated to protection.

Republicans are using a partisan budget maneuver to push the spending legislation through Congress without Democratic votes. The package would restore funding for immigration enforcement agencies blocked by Democrats since February. Democrats are attempting to stoke public opposition to the ballroom security funding as they target the broader immigration crackdown legislation that includes nearly $72 billion.