Washington, 21 May (LaPresse/AP) – Republican leaders in the US Senate intend to withdraw the proposal for approximately $1 billion earmarked for security at the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom, following concerns raised even within the Republican Party itself. The package had been included in a wider, approximately $70 billion bill to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and the Border Patrol, but met with resistance due to the costs and the lack of details regarding the request made by the Secret Service. Under pressure from the White House, Republicans had sought to include the funding in the bill, but several senators expressed doubts about the timing and the allocation of the funds. Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged the presence of ‘ongoing voting issues’ and procedural difficulties related to the text. Republican Senator John Kennedy stated that the bill would be back ‘to square one’ without the security package because ‘there are no votes’, whilst other party members described the proposal as a ‘bad idea’ or questioned whether there was sufficient support to pass it. The dispute comes against a backdrop of growing tensions between Congress and the White House, with Democrats criticising the inclusion of funding for Trump-linked projects at a time of heightened public sensitivity regarding inflation and the cost of living. The bill has not yet been published, but the Senate is aiming for possible approval within the week, before the Memorial Day break. However, the future of the package remains uncertain due to divisions within the Republican Party and possible amendments on the floor.
US: Republican senators consider cutting off funding for Trump’s ‘ballroom’
Washington, 21 May (LaPresse/AP) – Republican leaders in the US Senate intend to withdraw the proposal for approximately $1 billion earmarked for security at the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom, following concerns raised even within the Republican Party itself. The package had been included in a wider, approximately $70 billion bill to fund the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and the Border Patrol, but met with resistance due to the costs and the lack of details regarding the request made by the Secret Service. Under pressure from the White House, Republicans had sought to include the funding in the bill, but several senators expressed doubts about the timing and the allocation of the funds. Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged the presence of ‘ongoing voting issues’ and procedural difficulties related to the text. Republican Senator John Kennedy stated that the bill would be back ‘to square one’ without the security package because ‘there are no votes’, whilst other party members described the proposal as a ‘bad idea’ or questioned whether there was sufficient support to pass it. The dispute comes against a backdrop of growing tensions between Congress and the White House, with Democrats criticising the inclusion of funding for Trump-linked projects at a time of heightened public sensitivity regarding inflation and the cost of living. The bill has not yet been published, but the Senate is aiming for possible approval within the week, before the Memorial Day break. However, the future of the package remains uncertain due to divisions within the Republican Party and possible amendments on the floor.
