Senate Republicans Remove Trump Ballroom Funding from Immigration Bill

Senate Republicans have removed funding for President Donald Trump's ballroom security from their immigration bill, following a ruling by the parliamentarian that deemed it a violation of budgetary rules. This ruling would have required 60 votes for the bill to proceed, allowing for a potential filibuster by Democrats. Construction on the ballroom is already in progress, and Trump had previously indicated that it would be funded through private donations. The decision to drop the funding is expected to frustrate Trump, as Senate GOP leaders acknowledged that including it would jeopardize the immigration package. The White House stated that the removal was due to parliamentary rules rather than political pressure, emphasizing that the parliamentarian's decision was known weeks prior. The Senate GOP's initial proposal included nearly $1 billion for security adjustments related to the ballroom project, but ultimately, they could not find a solution to keep the funding in the bill after the parliamentarian's ruling.