Senate Republicans unveiled a $72 billion reconciliation package late Monday that includes $1 billion for U.S. Secret Service security upgrades related to President Donald Trump's proposed White House ballroom project. The funding targets "security adjustments and upgrades," including above-ground and below-ground features for the East Wing Modernization Project, but explicitly prohibits use for non-security elements or construction costs.

The provision appears in the Senate Judiciary Committee's portion of the bill, which also allocates about $31 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, funds for Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Justice Department. Republicans aim to pass the party-line measure using budget reconciliation to avoid a Democratic filibuster, with votes potentially starting next week and final passage targeted by the month's end.

The push follows an April 25 assassination attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, where suspect Cole Tomas Allen allegedly entered the Washington Hilton armed with guns and knives. The incident, described as the third such attempt on Trump, heightened concerns over White House event security and prompted renewed support for the ballroom.

Trump first announced the ballroom project last year as part of East Wing renovations, sharing renderings on Truth Social in February and pledging private funding totaling $200 million to $400 million. He emphasized in November, "And by the way, no government funds," and later posted, "This is a GIFT (ZERO taxpayer funding!)."

A White House spokesperson praised the proposal, stating it would "provide the United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex." Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley defended the package, saying Republicans "won’t allow our country to be dragged backwards by Democrats’ radical, anti-law enforcement agenda." Sen. Lindsey Graham added that holding future dinners at hotels would be "insane."

The project faced lawsuits from the National Trust for Historic Preservation over the demolition of the East Wing, but a federal appeals court ruled last month that construction could proceed. The $1 billion dwarfs the ballroom's estimated construction cost, raising questions even among some Republicans about priorities amid economic pressures.