WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� A proposal to fund $1 billion in security additions for the White House campus and the president鈥檚 is facing growing opposition from Republicans ahead of an expected vote this week, even as President Donald Trump and the U.S. Secret Service push for the money.
Republicans are revising the after the said Saturday that it did not meet the requirements to be included in legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies. But even if they are able to appease their parliamentarian, support for the plan remains uncertain as several Republican senators have 鈥� and as tensions between the White House and Senate have escalated in recent days.
鈥淚n the end it鈥檚 going to come down to what we have the votes to pass,鈥� said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday, suggesting that the support was still an open question.
Thune said there were ongoing conversations within the Senate and the House and with the White House over what the legislation should look like and what can meet the parliamentarian鈥檚 standards.
Republicans face opposition from within the party
Several GOP senators have said they are unlikely to support it if the bill contains the $1 billion price tag for White House security.
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.
Cassidy said the proposal, which would pay for Secret Service training and a new visitor center at the White House along with security for Trump鈥檚 ballroom, is premature when there are still many questions about the project. The Trump administration hasn鈥檛 been able to provide Congress with engineering assessments, environmental evaluations or architectural work, he said.
鈥淎nd by the way, the president has pledged to us that he would use private donations to pay for it,鈥� Cassidy said.
Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have also suggested they might not support the security funding, among others who have said they have questions. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he鈥檚 opposed if the proposal remains unchanged.
Security debate comes as Senate, White House at odds on other issues
The questions on the security funding and Trump鈥檚 ballroom come as Senate Republicans are trying to defend their majority in this year鈥檚 midterm elections and as Democrats are making affordability a central election issue.
鈥淎mericans can barely afford to keep a roof over their own heads,鈥� Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. 鈥淭hey should not be forced to pay for a golden roof over Trump鈥檚 head.鈥�
And while most Republicans rarely break with Trump, there was more tension than usual between the Senate and the White House this week, including over the to compensate Trump鈥檚 allies who believe they were targeted politically.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see a purpose for that,鈥� Thune told reporters Tuesday morning.
Hours later, Trump made a in the Texas Republican primary, backing the opponent of incumbent Sen. John Cornyn 鈥� angering many GOP senators who had pushed him for months to endorse Cornyn.
鈥淣ot very enthusiastic鈥� is how Murkowski described her own mood after Trump鈥檚 endorsement and the Republicans鈥� weekly conference lunch.
Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., said he鈥檚 supportive of the security money and thinks it is necessary to protect the president. But he conceded that the optics aren鈥檛 very good for Republicans, and that they haven鈥檛 communicated about it very 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.
Security funding could be reduced, or revised
Republicans are considering reducing the amount of money for the White House security or narrowing the proposal significantly as they try to figure out how to win votes and win approval from the parliamentarian. They are using a complicated budget maneuver called reconciliation to bypass Democrats, who have for months.
Thune said that the immigration enforcement money is the 鈥減rincipal objective鈥� of the legislation.
Once the measure is on the floor, the Senate will launch a long series of votes where Democrats can propose to strip out various parts of the bill.
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced the immigration portions of the $72 billion measure Tuesday morning in a committee meeting where Democrats who have demanded reforms at ICE and Border Patrol offered some five dozen amendments.
The GOP-led committee blocked all of the Democratic amendments, including requiring federal agents to display their last names and identification numbers on their uniforms and to secure a judicial warrant before breaking into a home.
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Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed.
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