GOP abandons $1B Trump ballroom funding amid party backlash

Senate Republicans are poised to drop a $1 billion plan to fund security upgrades for Trump’s White House ballroom from a larger roughly $70 billion ICE/border funding package after backlash from fellow Republicans. Democrats vow to oppose the provision and force votes, while GOP leaders work to push the bill through before a Memorial Day recess. Trump has promoted the project amid mixed public opinions and ongoing litigation, and opponents warn the funding would distract from voters’ cost-of-living concerns.