Senate Parliamentarian Rejects White House Ballroom Funding in Reconciliation Bill

The Senate’s nonpartisan referee has rejected a bid by Republicans to fund $1 billion for the White House ballroom expansion and other White House security upgrades. According to Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, the $1 billion proposal breaks the rules of the reconciliation process. As parliamentarian, MacDonough’s go-ahead is traditionally required to approve individual items passed under the partisan process. Republicans are seeking to use the reconciliation process—which is not subject to the filibuster—to pass $72 billion in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection, which has been blocked by Democrats in the wake of fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by immigration agents. The GOP bill would fund the agencies through 2029, the end of President Donald Trump’s second term....