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WASHINGTON. Senate Republicans this week added a $1 billion allocation for Secret Service security adjustments tied to a proposed East Wing ballroom to a Department of Homeland Security spending package that also seeks to restore funding for immigration enforcement agencies. The bill would designate the funds for the U.S. Secret Service to support security adjustments and upgrades related to the ballroom project, including above-ground and below-ground features, and specifies the money may not be used for non-security elements. The proposal followed the arrest of a man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. WASHINGTON. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer wrote that Democrats will seek to block or strip the ballroom-related funds by asking the Senate parliamentarian to remove them and by offering amendments that would force recorded votes. Republicans advanced the measure using a party-line budget maneuver intended to move the legislation without Democratic support, and some GOP lawmakers have said they will review the security provisions before deciding whether to back them. The White House praised the funding as necessary to harden the White House complex; court filings and administration statements describe planned fortifications beneath and around the ballroom, while a preservation group has sued to block construction.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.