US Republican senator says Trump ballroom funding removed from spending bill

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Red Lake Nation News, Red Lake, MN/Reuters

May 21, 2026


WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Republican Senator John Kennedy on Wednesday said there was insufficient support in ​the Senate to spend $1 billion on a planned White House ‌ballroom and related security measures, and that the proposal would not be included in a $72 billion immigration enforcement bill.

Speaking to reporters after leaving a meeting of Republican ​senators, Kennedy, of Louisiana, said: "We were told that, and again, I ​haven't looked at the text, but we're told that the ⁠ballroom money is out."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that ​there were "a couple snags" that his 53 Republicans were trying to iron ​out. "I think there are issues related to the East Wing modernization project," he said.

Read more: https://www.redlakenationnews.com/story/2026/05/21/politics/us-republican-senator-says-trump-ballroom-funding-removed-from-spending-bill/140413.html

[Chasstev365]

1. Every syllable of the bill needs to be scrutinized to see that they didn't hide it elsewhere.

[Ray Bruns]

2. Did anyone read the entire bill. I wouldn't trust republicans anymore than I would trust Trump.

[werdna]

3. Who's that I see over there?

Could it be republican Lucy holding a football to kick, urging Charlie Brown Democrat to kick it, promising not to take it away at the last second?

[doc03]

4. He will just do it with illegal bribes from companies wanting favors, won't he? He will get it

one way or another.

[dweller]

5. Pisswig will just stiff

the contractors like he usually does .
Then the workers can apply for ‘weaponization funds’

😐



✌🏻

[republianmushroom]

6. Reason for removal ?

According to NOTUS, "President Donald Trump pressed Senate Majority Leader John Thune to fire the Senate parliamentarian after she ruled Republicans could not include funding for the president’s ballroom in a budget bill, two sources familiar with the request told NOTUS." However, Thune is adamantly refusing to get rid of MacDonough, who was first appointed as the Senate rules referee in 2012 and has often frustrated majorities in both parties.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143666957

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-ballroom-2676911107/

Ballroom security money nixed by Senate parliamentarian
Excerpt
Elizabeth MacDonough, the chamber’s parliamentarian, ruled that the language aimed at enhancing Secret Service security measures would need to be reworked if Republicans want to pass the larger bill along party lines as planned, according to a statement from Budget Committee Democrats.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143666039

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/16/ballroom-funding-senate-parliamentarian-00924612

[BumRushDaShow]

7. It violated the Byrd Rule

Byrd Rule

(snip)

During the first several years' experience with reconciliation, the legislation contained many provisions that were extraneous to the purpose of implementing budget resolution policies. The reconciliation submissions of committees included provisions that had no budgetary effect, that increased spending or reduced revenues when the reconciliation instructions called for reduced spending or increased revenues, or that violated another committee's jurisdiction.

In 1985 and 1986, the Senate adopted the Byrd rule (named after its principal sponsor, Senator Robert C. Byrd) on a temporary basis as a means of curbing these practices. The Byrd rule was extended and modified several times over the years. In 1990, the Byrd rule was incorporated into the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 as Section 313 and made permanent (2 U.S.C. 644).

A Senator opposed to the inclusion of extraneous matter in reconciliation legislation may offer an amendment (or a motion to recommit the measure with instructions) that strikes such provisions from the legislation, or, under the Byrd rule, a Senator may raise a point of order against such matter. In general, a point of order authorized under the Byrd rule may be raised in order to strike extraneous matter already in the bill as reported or discharged (or in the conference report), or to prevent the incorporation of extraneous matter through the adoption of amendments or motions. A motion to waive the Byrd rule, or to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the chair on a point of order raised under the Byrd rule, requires the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the membership (60 Senators if no seats are vacant).

The Byrd rule provides six definitions of what constitutes extraneous matter for purposes of the rule (and several exceptions thereto), but the term is generally described as covering provisions unrelated to achieving the goals of the reconciliation instructions.

The Byrd rule has been in effect during Senate consideration of 23 reconciliation measures from late 1985 through the present.

(snip)

[Marie Marie]

8. Hell hath no fury like saying "NO" to Manbaby. Everybody better duck!

[forgotmylogin]

9. THE EAST WING MODERNIZATION PROJECT? ?? ?????

You don't "modernize" rubble after demolishing a historical building.