{"id":2314,"date":"2026-05-21T15:39:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T15:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/21\/senate-republicans-expected-to-ditch-1bn-funding-plan-for-trumps-ballroom\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T15:39:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T15:39:41","slug":"senate-republicans-expected-to-ditch-1bn-funding-plan-for-trumps-ballroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2314","title":{"rendered":"Senate Republicans expected to ditch $1bn funding plan for Trump\u2019s ballroom"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"6f0f8817-f910-4788-95f0-b94cffae5788\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man speaks next to displays for a proposed building\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/f83ddd87451ff8bb11357e0cf1340d36f9d84230\/0_0_3600_2401\/master\/3600.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.12916666666666\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Donald Trump speaks to the press about the new East Wing next to the construction site at the White House in Washington DC on 19 May 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Samuel Corum\/Pool\/Samuel Corum &#8211; Pool\/CNP\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"6f0f8817-f910-4788-95f0-b94cffae5788\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Donald Trump speaks to the press about the new East Wing next to the construction site at the White House in Washington DC on 19 May 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Samuel Corum\/Pool\/Samuel Corum &#8211; Pool\/CNP\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Senate Republicans expected to ditch $1bn funding plan for Trump\u2019s ballroom<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Top Republicans fear diverting taxpayer dollars toward the White House ballroom will alienate voters before midterms<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Senate Republican leaders are expected to ditch a $1bn proposal for security measures tied to Donald Trump\u2019s White House ballroom following a backlash from members of their own party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Under pressure from Trump, top Republican lawmakers tried to latch the proposal on to a roughly $70bn bill to restore funding to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the border patrol.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But the plan prompted intense anxiety among congressional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/republicans\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Republicans<\/a>, who feared diverting taxpayer dollars toward Trump\u2019s \u201cEast Wing modernization project\u201d amid mounting cost of living concerns across the US would risk alienating voters ahead of November\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"6476a6d9-64cf-49f1-bb6b-cf91272acb2a\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-3 | 3\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1bg5532\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/trump-ballroom-east-wing-media-tour\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Trump leads media tour of ballroom building site as Congress balks at $1bn price tag<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Senate Democrats <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/11\/senate-democrats-white-house-ballroom-funding\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">pledged to oppose the funding for Trump\u2019s ballroom<\/a>, and push \u201cvote after vote\u201d in a bid to force Republicans to publicly endorse it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Republican John Thune, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/us-senate\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">US Senate<\/a> majority leader, acknowledged \u201congoing vote issues\u201d with the wider bill on Wednesday, as the party\u2019s leaders try to gauge support. They hope to pass the bill this week, and send it to the House of Representatives, before departing for a week-long recess around the Memorial Day holiday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Addressing reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Chuck Schumer, the US Senate\u2019s top Democrat, accused Republicans of trying to \u201csneak\u201d ballroom funding into the bill. \u201cThe American people caught them red-handed, and now they\u2019re trying to drop that hot potato,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The East Wing of the White House was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/oct\/24\/white-house-demolition-east-wing-trump-ballroom\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">reduced to rubble<\/a> last year to make way for Trump\u2019s plan for a gilded ballroom. Polling has indicated that most Americans oppose the controversial project, which remains embroiled in litigation in federal court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThere will never be another building like this built, that I can tell you,\u201d the US president told reporters on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/trump-ballroom-east-wing-media-tour\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">tour of the construction site<\/a> earlier this week. Touting a string of corporate donors providing funds, he insisted: \u201cThis is a gift to the United States of America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>The Associated Press contributed reporting<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-senate\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US Senate<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/republicans\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Republicans<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Senate%20Republicans%20expected%20to%20ditch%20%241bn%20funding%20plan%20for%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20ballroom&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/senate-republicans-to-ditch-trump-ballroom-funding?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F21%2Fsenate-republicans-to-ditch-trump-ballroom-funding&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/senate-republicans-to-ditch-trump-ballroom-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Donald Trump speaks to the press about the new East Wing next to the construction site at the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2314"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2314\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}