After the shooting at the Hilton Hotel, Donald Trump himself used this opportunity to complain about the suspension of the construction of the ballroom, which is being built on the ruins of the eastern wing of the most famous presidential residence in the world.
“What happened last night is precisely why our great armed forces, the Secret Service, law enforcement, and – for a variety of reasons – every president over the last 150 years have DEMANDED that a large, safe and secure ballroom be built ON THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS. This event would never have happened if a highly classified military ballroom was currently being built in the White House,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Now what many lawmakers once considered a nice-to-have is seen as an essential venue for future events and celebrations. Many Republicans on Capitol Hill have publicly vowed to try to approve the ballroom construction as early as this week, even though there is no clear path to quickly getting the bill to Trump's desk.
Architect Shalom Baranes presenting the development plan for the new $400 million White House ballroom during a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, Washington, D.C., January 8, 2026.CHIP SOMODEVILLA / Getty Images via AFP / AFP
Sen. Lindsey Graham said he spoke directly with Trump about the ballroom and wants Senate Majority Leader John Thune to “expedite” consideration of his new bill, prepared jointly with Republican senators Katie Britt of Alabama and Eric Schmitt of Missouri, which would allocate up to $400 million for the bill. (PLN 1,452 million).
Schmitt told reporters that while the ongoing legal battle is not over and he believes Trump has the authority to build the ballroom himself, Saturday's shooting “refocuses attention” on finding ways to complete the project without delays or complications.
Sen. Rand Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is expected to try to advance his bill on Tuesday that would authorize construction of the ballroom. Senator Tim Sheehy, meanwhile, is scheduled to appear on the Senate floor this week to try to push through his own bill.
However, Republicans face many obstacles, the most serious of which is the lack of support from senators necessary to break the parliamentary filibuster. Democrats are furious that the ballroom is being built on the rubble of the East Wing, which Trump demolished without consulting lawmakers or the Planning and Historic Preservation Commissions.
That's sparking talk among some Republicans about trying to squeeze it into a partisan immigration enforcement bill that Trump wants to have on his desk by June 1 — a maneuver that may not work or, at the very least, complicate the GOP's ability to meet the deadline as the Department of Homeland Security paralysis drags on.
Trump himself called on the House of Representatives to approve the budget bill in its current form, which the Senate submitted last week. This would allow legislation to be drafted through the budget reconciliation process, bypassing the parliamentary filibuster, to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol operations — part of a two-phase plan to restart the Department of Homeland Security after the failure of bipartisan negotiations.
Even House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, who has called for an expansion of the pending budget reconciliation bill, cautions against making changes.
He said Monday that the package would be “totally focused” on funding ICE and the Border Patrol. He also warned that if Republicans start adding items now, it would open the door to adding items from a much longer conservative wish list.
“Look, if we had to add to that, I have a list that starts with fiscal reforms to prevent more fraud, and then there's a whole bunch of other reforms around health care and housing affordability,” Arrington said.
Three Senate aides said Monday that the ballroom provision would not comply with the chamber's rules anyway to be included in the bill as part of the budget reconciliation process. Further complicating matters is the fact that Republicans are not united around one specific ballroom proposal, and Paul has indicated that he would support spending a nominal amount on it, but not hundreds of millions of dollars as Graham predicts.
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Thune left his options open on Monday, telling reporters that his conference would see what was “achievable.” However, he admitted that his chamber's budget bill did not assign all relevant committees oversight of the ballroom project in order to draft the budget reconciliation bill itself.
“I don't know,” Thune said when asked whether it could be included in the immigration enforcement package.
Sen. Mike Rounds also urged his colleagues to approach the reconciliation plan with caution. “If we change him, we put him in danger. That's why I'd rather not endanger him, he told reporters on Monday evening. — I understand there is a desire to continue some construction work here, but let's achieve success first.
Graham, who chairs the Budget Committee, hasn't closed the door on trying to resolve the ballroom issue through party procedure, but he seemed frustrated at the prospect that it might come to that.
“I would like to do it as a stand-alone bill with offsets,” Graham said at a news conference on Monday. “Let's give it a chance, and if we don't succeed, we'll have to move on to plan B.”
But so far, with the exception of Sen. John Fettermann, no Democratic senator is interested.
— If Republicans really want to improve security, they should join Democrats in funding the Secret Service, not Donald Trump's luxurious ballroom, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer concluded on Monday during a Senate hearing.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
