WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Republican senators are considering dropping a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and after it has failed to win enough party support on Capitol Hill.
Pressured by the White House, Republicans have tried to add the money to a roughly to restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. But the security proposal has met with backlash from some GOP lawmakers who are questioning the cost and the lack of detail from the White House and U.S. Secret Service about how the taxpayer dollars would be used.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Wednesday that the bill was 鈥渂ack to square one鈥� without the security money because 鈥渢he votes are not there.鈥�
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the effort to add the security package to the bill was a 鈥渂ad idea鈥� and he does not think there is enough backing to pass it, even if it were reduced.
The text of the bill has not yet been released. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged 鈥渙ngoing vote issues鈥� as leaders try to measure Republican support, as well as 鈥渙ngoing parliamentarian issues鈥� as they try to figure out what will be allowed in the bill under the chamber’s rules.
The wrangling comes as Democrats have criticized Republicans for trying to fund Trump鈥檚 ballroom when voters are concerned about basic affordability issues 鈥� and as some GOP lawmakers have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump. Several have spoken out against the administration鈥檚 designed to compensate Trump鈥檚 allies, and many were upset by the president鈥檚 in the party primary runoff next week against Sen. John Cornyn.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always a consequence with taking on United States senators,鈥� Thune said. Trump 鈥渙bviously has his favorites and people he wants to endorse and that鈥檚 his prerogative. But what we have to deal with up here is moving the agenda, and obviously that can become slightly more complicated.鈥�
Republican opposition blocks Secret Service request
Under the , about $220 million would pay for security improvements related to the ballroom. The rest would go for a new screening center for visitors, training and other security measures.
Tillis said the bill should not have included the other security improvements 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 just giving everybody the 鈥榖illion-dollar ballroom.'”
“They need to explain to me why we need this,鈥� Tillis said, noting that Trump had originally said private money would cover the project.
Several other Republicans in the House and Senate have questioned the request, and senators left a briefing with the director of the Secret Service last week saying they needed a lot more information.
People 鈥渃an鈥檛 afford groceries and gasoline and healthcare, and we鈥檙e going to do a billion dollars for a ballroom?鈥� asked Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who after Trump endorsed one of his opponents.
Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., said he is supportive of the security money and thinks it is necessary to protect the president. But he acknowledged that the optics are not very good for Republicans, and that they have not communicated about it well.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got people out there who are worried about how in the world they鈥檙e going to have enough gas to get home,鈥� Justice said.
Tensions rise between Senate and White House
As Republicans challenged parts of his agenda, Trump unloaded on the Senate in a social media post.
He urged Republicans to fire the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who said over the weekend that . Trump renewed his long-standing calls for the Senate to pass the SAVE Act, a Republican bill that would require all voters to prove U.S. citizenship, and to end the Senate filibuster.
鈥淩epublicans play a very soft game compared to the Dumocrats,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚t is their single biggest disadvantage in politics.鈥�
Trump said Democrats would eliminate the filibuster 鈥渙n the First Day鈥� if they ever get full power in Washington again and that Republicans need to 鈥済et smart and tough鈥� or 鈥測ou鈥檒l all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible!鈥�
Republicans have been loyal to Trump on most issues, but they have resisted his repeated calls 鈥� even in his first term 鈥� to kill the filibuster, which triggers a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.
Hanging over the growing GOP rift is Trump鈥檚 surprise endorsement of Paxton. That intervention has Republican senators privately fuming that it could cost them their majority in November as they view the incumbent, Cornyn, as the better candidate in the November general election.
Democrats test Republicans on settlement fund
As Republicans move forward on the immigration enforcement legislation, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Democrats plan to force a vote on Trump鈥檚 proposed settlement fund.
Democrats have an opening because Republicans are trying to pass the immigration enforcement bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Democrats are considering multiple amendments potentially to block that new fund outright or to ban any payments to Trump supporters who in the .
Those amendments, along with others, could pass as a growing number of Republicans speak out against the fund and other parts of Trump鈥檚 agenda.
Thune said he was 鈥渘ot a big fan鈥� of the new fund, which the administration announced as a part of a settlement that resolves the president鈥檚 over the leak of his tax returns. Cassidy called it a 鈥渟lush fund鈥� and said 鈥測ou can鈥檛 just make up things.鈥�
Tillis said he thinks it is a 鈥渞eal risk鈥� that some of the rioters charged 鈥� and later pardoned by Trump 鈥� in the Jan. 6 attack could get compensation through the fund. He said that would be 鈥渁bsurd.鈥�
On Wednesday, two police officers who helped defend the Capitol in the 2021 assault to block the payouts. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, a personal attorney for Trump before joining the Department of Justice in Trump鈥檚 second term, would not rule out the possibility that on Jan. 6 would be eligible for compensation when he testified in a Senate hearing this week.
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