“Senate Democrats fought back and stopped their first attempt.”

He also warned that Democrats would be ready to block future efforts if Republicans revised the proposal.

Why was Trump’s White House ballroom funding bl0cked?

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley was also sharply critical, saying Americans should not spend “a single dime” on what he described as Trump’s “Louis XIV-style ballroom.”

Republicans rejected that argument. They insisted the ballroom itself would be funded by private donations and that the federal money was meant only for security improvements. Those upgrades reportedly included a new visitor screening center, additional agent training, and added protection for major White House events.

Ryan Wrasse, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, pushed back on X, writing that “none of this is abnormal” and adding: