Senate Republicans have unveiled a $72 billion immigration enforcement bill that includes $1 billion for Secret Service security upgrades tied to the White House East Wing modernization project. The funding comes amid heightened security needs following recent assassination attempts on President Trump. Democrats have criticized the measure as an attempt to use taxpayer money for the president's ballroom.
The bill, released Monday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, allocates the money specifically for security adjustments and upgrades within the White House perimeter fence. White House officials emphasized that the funds cannot be used for any non-security elements of the project, which they say is financed through private donations. President Trump defended the ballroom's rising costs on Truth Social, stating the original $200 million proposal has grown because the project is now twice the size and of higher quality than initially planned, with a final cost expected to be less than $400 million.
