Senate Republicans have released a financial package and legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies that includes up to $1 billion for U.S. Secret Service security adjustments and upgrades. This taxpayer-funded amount is designated for a ballroom project at the White House.
There is a dispute regarding the intent of the funding. Senate Republicans maintain that the budget reconciliation proposal authorizes necessary security construction and long-overdue upgrades rather than the ballroom itself. The White House, however, disagrees with this assertion.
The proposed funding comes after a gunman raced through a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and was charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump. For his part, the president has portrayed the construction of the new ballroom as a gift to the nation provided by patriotic private donors.