The Ballroom Project Stalls

The additional $1 billion in provisions to the Secret Service has hit a snag in the Senate

By: Austin Abbring

May 22, 2026

Caption: Photo Credit: Hassan Albadawi, Wikimedia Commons, No alterations made to image, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ 

This past week has not produced much good news, so this is a little glimmer of positivity. A few days ago, the Senate voted down the additional $1 billion in proposed funding for the Secret Service attached to the Ballroom Project, with $200 million of that going directly toward the construction of the Ballroom. A federal judge has also temporarily blocked construction on the project until congressional approval is obtained. Donald Trump continues to insist that the project will not utilize taxpayer funds. 

This entire calamity has been a whirlwind. Initially, the project had a budget of $200 million, then expanded to $300 million, $400 million, and, most recently, $1 billion. With this latest attempt to push the $1 billion Secret Service package, it is clear that Donald Trump will utilize taxpayer money for this project in some capacity. He is obviously lying when he says it will be entirely privately funded. 

With the recent early recess of the Senate over Trump’s IRS settlement scandal, I find it unlikely that Trump will gain congressional approval for this project any time soon. He and Republicans will continue to try, but they just do not have the votes in the Senate. I will keep you posted on this egregious Gilded Age project and voting, as we are far from the end of this fight.