WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans introduced legislation Monday seeking federal approval and funding for President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom, citing security concerns following Saturday’s shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
The proposed legislation would allocate $400 million in federal funds to cover construction costs and underlying security infrastructure. While Trump previously indicated private funding would finance the ballroom, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a bill co-sponsor, stated Monday that private contributions should be limited to “buying china and stuff like that.”
During a Monday press conference, Graham acknowledged some may view the ballroom as Trump’s “vanity project,” but emphasized its necessity for safe presidential events, avoiding less secure locations like the Washington Hilton where Saturday’s dinner occurred. According to FBI court documents, the individual who allegedly attempted to breach the event with weapons had booked a hotel room at the venue.
“It would be insane” to hold future dinners at that location, Graham declared, stating he would advise any president against it, despite Trump’s expressed interest in rescheduling the event.
Cole Tomas Allen faced federal court proceedings Monday on charges of attempting to assassinate Trump following Saturday’s incident, during which gunfire erupted outside the ballroom. The president was quickly evacuated from the stage while thousands of attendees sought cover under tables.
Additional lawmakers announced plans to introduce their own ballroom authorization measures, including Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Republican Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Tim Sheehy of Montana.
“It is an embarrassment to the strongest nation on earth that we cannot host gatherings in our nation’s capital, including ones attended by our president, without the threat of violence and attempted assassinations,” Sheehy wrote on social media platform X.
However, the initiative faces uncertain prospects for passage. Democrats have consistently opposed the ballroom construction since Trump began demolishing White House sections without congressional authorization, leading to ongoing legal challenges. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters the president should prioritize ending the Iran conflict, healthcare initiatives, and cost-of-living relief measures.
“These are the things that we should actually be focused on,” Jeffries stated.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Trump’s desire to isolate himself in a “walled palace, literally.”
Schumer urged Republicans to instead advance spending legislation funding the U.S. Secret Service, which operates under the Homeland Security Department and has been shuttered for over two months. The House has not yet acted on two department funding bills previously passed by the Senate.
“If Republicans truly want to improve security, they should join Democrats in funding the Secret Service, not Donald Trump’s luxury ballroom,” Schumer said.
Republicans also leveraged the incident to advocate for Homeland Security funding, criticizing Democrats for blocking immigration enforcement agency funding since mid-February.
The dinner disruption follows two previous attempts on Trump’s life and occurs amid increasing death threats against congressional members from both parties in recent years.
Graham noted the extraordinary nature of current times.
“I’ve been up here a while now, and I’ve never felt the sense of threat that exists today,” he said.
Alabama Senator Katie Britt, who co-sponsored the legislation with Graham, emphasized the proposal extends beyond Trump’s presidency.
“This will not be done until the end of his term,” she explained. “This is about future presidents. This is about our nation having a place to gather.”
