Schumer leads chorus of outrage over $1B for Trump's 'free' ballroom
New York Daily News • • nation
Key Points:
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats criticized a Republican proposal to spend $1 billion on upgrading the White House ballroom, a project President Trump had promised would be privately funded without taxpayer money.
- The proposed "East Wing Modernization project" includes security enhancements and an underground bunker, with costs ballooning from initial estimates of $200-400 million to $1 billion.
- Trump defended the project on social media, claiming it is on schedule and under budget, emphasizing the necessity of the upgrades for safety and security.
- The $1 billion ballroom funding is part of a larger $72 billion GOP spending package aimed at immigration enforcement agencies, which Republicans plan to pass using the reconciliation process to avoid a Senate filibuster.
- The White House describes the project as heavily fortified, including bomb shelters, military installations, medical facilities, bulletproof glass, and defenses against drone attacks, following recent security concerns at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
