Once touted as privately funded, Republicans sneak in taxpayer cash for Trump's ballroom project

The GOP released legislation for its immigration enforcement-focused reconciliation package late Monday night, setting the total spending at $72 billion. But it also included $1 billion in taxpayer funding for security enhancements related to the ballroom addition to the White House.

Republicans had largely kept an arm's length distance from the project, which Trump first announced last year. The construction drew criticism over the demolition of the East Wing and the flow of outside funding, which the administration has touted as a win for taxpayers.

But since the third apparent assassination attempt against Trump during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton last month, Republicans have jumped on the ballroom bandwagon.

The funding is tucked into the Senate Judiciary Committee's portion of the reconciliation package, which tees up nearly $31 billion for ICE, $3.5 billion for Customs and Border Protection (CBP), $2.5 billion for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and just shy of $1.5 billion for the Department of Justice (DOJ).

"Republicans won't allow our country to be dragged backwards by Democrats' radical, anti-law enforcement agenda," Grassley said in a statement.

The funds won't actually go toward building the ballroom, but instead would be doled out to the Secret Service and is explicitly meant for "security adjustments and upgrades," within the perimeter fence of the White House "relating to the East Wing Modernization Project," including "above-ground and below-ground security features," according to the legislation.

Notably, the measure sets guardrails on the funding so that none of the taxpayer money would be used for "non-security elements of the East Wing Modernization Project."

Senate Democrats are already going after the GOP for including the project.

Paul's measure included over $19 billion for CBP, $7.5 billion for ICE, nearly $3.5 billion for border security and $2.5 billion for DHS.

"Senate Democrats refuse to vote for a single dollar to secure our borders or enforce our immigration laws, even against the most violent illegal aliens," Paul said in a statement. "To make sure those vital functions are funded, my committee will vote later this month to provide the funding needed."