Trump's White House ballroom money cut from Senate immigration package

Senate Republicans have removed funding linked to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project from a major immigration and border security bill after concerns over Senate rules and political backlash.

Revised legislative text released on Wednesday confirmed the ballroom security funding had been dropped from the package, which includes roughly $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border operations.

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The move followed a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian that the proposal violated strict budget rules required to pass the legislation with a simple majority vote.

If the measure had remained in the bill, Democrats could have blocked it through a filibuster requiring 60 votes to advance.

Some Republican senators had also expressed concern about approving funding for the ballroom project while Americans continue to face cost-of-living pressures ahead of the midterm elections.

In a statement, the White House rejected suggestions that Republicans had abandoned the funding because of political pressure.

“The parliamentarians decision was reported weeks ago. This framing is false as it implies that republicans removed it deliberately rather than under parliamentary pressure,” the White House said.

Trump has previously promoted the ballroom project as a major security upgrade and said it would partly be financed through private donations, including his own contributions.

According to reports, the original Senate proposal included nearly $1 billion for security improvements tied to the ballroom and other White House protection measures.