WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Senate Republicans have added $1 billion in White House security upgrades to legislation that would fund immigration enforcement agencies, a proposed boost for President Donald Trump鈥檚 after a man was at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last week.
The GOP bill released late Monday would designate the money for the U.S. Secret Service for 鈥渟ecurity adjustments and upgrades鈥� related to the ballroom project, which Trump and Republicans have been pushing since allegedly stormed the April 25 media dinner at the Washington Hilton with guns and knives. The legislation says the money would support enhancements to the ballroom project, 鈥渋ncluding above-ground and below-ground security features,鈥� but also specifies that the money may not be used for non-security elements.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle praised Republicans for including the money for the 鈥渓ong overdue鈥� project, saying it would 鈥減rovide the United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex, in addition to the many other critical missions for the USSS.鈥�
The money is part of a larger bill to pay for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, as Democrats have been blocking funds for both agencies since mid-February. Congress to fund the rest of the Homeland Security Department on April 30 after a record-long shutdown, but Republicans are to push through the ICE and Border Patrol dollars on their own. The House has not released its bill yet, but the Senate is expected to start voting on its version of the legislation next week.
It is unclear exactly how the $1 billion would be used, and the amount far exceeds the proposed $400 million for construction of the ballroom. The White House has said in court documents that the East Wing project would be 鈥渉eavily fortified,鈥� including bomb shelters, military installations and a medical facility underneath the ballroom. Trump has said it should include bulletproof glass and be able to repel drone attacks.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation of the project, but a federal appeals court said last month that it can continue in the meantime.
The White House has said that private money would pay for the construction but public money would be used for security measures. Some Republicans have suggested that , arguing the security breach at the dinner shows the president needs a secure place to host events.
鈥淚t would be insane鈥� to hold the dinner at a hotel again, said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who introduced a bill to pay for the ballroom鈥檚 construction with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.
Democrats have said they will oppose any efforts to pay for the ballroom.
鈥淲hile Americans are struggling to make ends meet as a result of President Trump鈥檚 failed policies, Republicans are focused on providing tens of billions of dollars for the President鈥檚 vanity ballroom project and cruel mass deportation campaign,鈥� said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the U.S. Secret Service.
___
Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
