politics
Senate Republicans Add $1 Billion for White House Security to Reconciliation Bill
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released text for a reconciliation bill allocating $1 billion for U.S. Secret Service enhancements related to the East Wing Modernization Project. The funds are designated for security upgrades within the White House compound, amid recent threats including an attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
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Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, released legislative text on Monday evening for a proposed reconciliation bill. The text includes $1 billion allocated between fiscal years 2026 and 2029 for "security adjustments and upgrades within the White House compound perimeter" related to the U.S. Secret Service and the East Wing Modernization Project.
The bill specifies that "none of the funds may be used for non-security elements of the project." President Trump has stated that the ballroom component of the project would cost $400 million and be funded through private donations. The White House has named potential donors such as Meta, Apple, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Palantir, Google, and Comcast, according to reports.
Hannah Akey, a spokesperson for Grassley, stated in response to inquiries that the funds "would not go toward the ballroom itself" but would support "Secret Service enhancements, including but not limited to security enhancements related to the East Wing Modernization Project." She added, "The allocation aims to secure the White House compound given the current threat environment." Akey further said, "After three attempted assassinations against the current president, it’s clearer than ever that investing in Secret Service is essential."
The proposal follows security incidents, including an armed individual's attempt to enter the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April and a shooting at the event last week. A White House spokesperson stated that the funds would provide the Secret Service with "resources to harden the White House complex," citing in part the recent assassination attempt on President Trump at the dinner.
The East Wing was demolished last year to accommodate the project. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that 28 percent of respondents supported the ballroom idea, while 62 percent opposed it and 10 percent had no opinion. The broader reconciliation bill also seeks to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), following Democrats' opposition to such funding in the annual Homeland Security appropriations bill.
