Swansenreport

A clear indication that after last Saturday’s incident that Senator Schumer, and Hakeem Jeffries, are not paying attention, and haven’t read the room.

In the wake of Saturday’s assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, congressional Republicans are moving quickly to authorize and fund President Trump’s proposed White House ballroom — framing it as a national security necessity. Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, are calling it a vanity project.

A new bill introduced by Republican senators would authorize $400 million for construction and security infrastructure beneath the ballroom. Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Katie Britt of Alabama led the push, arguing the project would allow the president to host events safely on secure White House grounds rather than at outside venues vulnerable to attack. News Directory 3

Graham said the shooting at Saturday’s dinner underscored the need for the project, adding that he had never felt such a sense of threat in his years on Capitol Hill. Britt emphasized the ballroom would outlast Trump’s presidency: “This is about future presidents.” Yahoo!

Schumer fired back Monday, saying Trump wants to seclude himself in a “walled palace, literally,” and insisted Republicans should instead be focused on passing a spending bill to fund the Secret Service, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security — an agency that has been shut down for more than two months. “If Republicans truly want to improve security, they should join Democrats in funding the Secret Service, not Donald Trump’s luxury ballroom,” Schumer said. Yahoo!

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the ballroom “a vanity project” and argued Republicans were improperly focused on an issue that would not address more pressing concerns of the American people. Newsweek

The ballroom project has faced legal challenges since Trump moved forward with demolition of part of the White House East Wing without congressional approval. A federal judge halted the work, but an appeals court allowed construction to continue while it reviews the decision. As of mid-April, construction was permitted to continue through June 2026. Daily Wire Trump has maintained the project will be funded by private donations, not taxpayers.

Sources: ABC News / AP | The Hill | Wikipedia — White House State Ballroom