Senate Parliamentarian Blocks $1B Ballroom Security Funds from Reconciliation Bill

A Senate parliamentarian ruling has placed $1 billion in proposed security funding for the White House complex in jeopardy, complicating Republican plans to attach the money to a larger spending package. The decision affects upgrades tied to President Trump’s privately financed ballroom project and other infrastructure changes.

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determined that the provision, as drafted, violates budget reconciliation rules because it spans multiple committee jurisdictions. Republicans control the chamber 53-47 and had hoped to pass the roughly $72 billion package, which centers on immigration enforcement, with a simple majority. The ruling forces either a rewrite or a 60-vote threshold that Democrats are unlikely to help meet.

Trump has stated the $400 million ballroom itself will come from private donors, with completion expected near September 2028. Republicans argue the separate $1 billion request covers Secret Service needs, including $220 million for complex hardening, $180 million for a visitor screening facility, and additional training and protection measures. They cite recent security incidents, including an April attempt to breach a Washington event attended by the president.

Democrats have called the project an unnecessary expense amid higher living costs. Some Republicans have also asked for more details on how the $1 billion figure was calculated. The parliamentarian’s opinion is advisory; the Senate can still revise the language or seek to override it, though such overrides are rare.