Does Grassley’s spending bill give Trump $1 billion for the White House ballroom?

Published May 5, 2026 11:52am ET | Updated May 5, 2026 11:52am ET



Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released the Senate Judiciary Committee’s reconciliation bill text that includes a funding provision for security-related features in President Donald Trump‘s proposed White House ballroom.

The bill text has caught media attention since its release because it would allocate $1 billion toward security enhancements to Trump’s ballroom project, a project the president has insisted would be funded by private donors. However, despite concerns from Democrats, the chairman’s proposed language does not directly fund the cosmetic construction of the ballroom, also called the East Wing Modernization project. As written, it only funds Secret Service-related elements of the facility.

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