Trump Urges Senate Republicans to Fire Parliamentarian Over Ballroom Funding Dispute

President Trump on Wednesday criticized Senate Republicans for refusing to fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough after her ruling that $1 billion in funding for a White House ballroom project cannot pass with a simple majority. Trump posted on Truth Social that Republicans play a "very soft game compared to the Dumocrats" and questioned why MacDonough has not been replaced. "

Ruling MacDonough ruled over the weekend that the funding must meet the 60-vote threshold because the provision involves more committees than the reconciliation instructions allow. The money was proposed for Secret Service security upgrades tied to the East Wing modernization project, which includes the ballroom.

Senate Republicans had included the funding in a broader immigration enforcement package they hoped to pass this week. Several members of the conference have expressed reservations about using taxpayer money for the project.

Trump also repeated his call for Republicans to eliminate the legislative filibuster. He said if the SAVE America Act requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration does not pass, Democrats will gain an advantage in future elections. "The ballroom is being built.

I’m building the ballroom. It’s a military complex," Trump told reporters Wednesday. "The roof is a drone port. " Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the funding remains under discussion and that Republicans are revising the legislation to address the parliamentarian’s concerns.

Thune told Punchbowl that he would not fire MacDonough. Trump privately urged Thune to remove MacDonough earlier this week, according to reports. MacDonough was appointed during the previous Democratic majority and serves as the nonpartisan rules referee for the Senate.