Seven Republican senators voted with Democrats to block construction of the White House ballroom unless Congress authorizes the project.

The Republicans who supported the measure include:

  • Sen. Susan Collins (ME)
  • Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK)
  • Sen. Jerry Moran (KS)
  • Sen. Dan Sullivan (AK)
  • Sen. Thom Tillis (NC)
  • Sen. Jon Husted (OH)
  • Sen. Bill Cassidy (LA)

Nevertheless, the measure needed 60 votes to pass.

More from the Washington Examiner:

The undertaking came in the form of an amendment to the GOP’s $70 billion immigration enforcement bill that Republicans initially tried to use for $220 million in ballroom security funding for the project. However, they were ultimately forced to strip the money due to opposition and the strict rules of the filibuster-skirting reconciliation process.

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The amendment would have banned the use of federal funds and private donations to construct the ballroom unless Trump received the green light from Congress. The tally was 53-46.

Collins, Husted, and Sullivan, who are all up for reelection in battleground states, also broke with their party on an earlier amendment to thwart the creation of the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization” fund. Cassidy, who recently lost his primary, received consent to change his position in favor of the amendment after the vote had closed.

“Trump has fought for his ballroom harder than he’s ever fought to lower your costs,” the office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement.

“As the price of groceries, gas, and housing balloons, a gilded White House ballroom is the last thing your taxes should be spent on. But Senate Republicans just voted down an amendment that would ensure this ballroom does not receive one cent of federal funding without congressional approval,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) commented.

“In the first version of Senate Republicans’ budget bill, they tried to give Trump $1 billion in taxpayer dollars for his ballroom. Democrats fought back and forced Republicans to strip out this wasteful spending,” Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) commented.

“But we know that Trump will do anything he can to get his way – so Senate Democrats forced a vote today to make sure he can NEVER use taxpayer money for his ballroom. Republicans refused to join us and instead blocked our efforts,” she added.

The Hill noted:

Senate Republicans stripped a provision to provide up to $1 billion in federal funding for the ballroom from the revised text of the budget reconciliation bill unveiled by the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week.

The budget reconciliation package initially included $1 billion to provide security upgrades to the White House and the new ballroom, something that spurred strong pushback from GOP senators.

 

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