By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - Two days after a shooting at a dinner that President Donald Trump was attending, Republicans in the U.S. Congress were pushing for legislation to fund and speed construction of a White House ballroom, citing increased security concerns.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and two fellow Republicans have crafted a bill that would finance the construction, which already is underway, at taxpayers' expense, according to a statement
on Monday.
Graham's office, citing "increased threats," said, "By funding these necessary upgrades to the ballroom and the White House’s security infrastructure, President Trump and future presidents will be able to host large events without having to leave the White House grounds."
Neither Trump nor the White House hosted Saturday's dinner, which had around 2,600 guests. Trump has already torn down the historic East Wing of the White House to begin construction of a massive White House ballroom, which would seat a maximum of 1,000 guests.
Trump previously had said that private donations would pay for the estimated $400 million cost of the ballroom project that he has been pushing for.
It was unclear how Graham would navigate the measure through the Senate, where Democrats are expected to oppose it.
A Graham aide did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Republican Representative Chip Roy of Texas said in a posting on X on Sunday that a budget bill Graham and Republicans are pushing through Congress should include the ballroom. That measure would move through the Senate under a special procedure allowing passage by a 51-vote majority, instead of a 60-vote supermajority most bills face. Republicans hold 53 of the Senate's 100 seats.
That bill is mainly aimed at funding two Department of Homeland Security law enforcement agencies through fiscal year 2029.
On March 31, a federal judge ruled that the 90,000-square-foot project could only go forward if Congress approved it.
On Sunday, freshman Republican Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana said he would seek fast Senate approval of a bill providing for construction of Trump's ballroom. His move would require the consent of all senators -- a procedure that often fails on controversial legislation.
"A president of any party should be able to host events in a secure area without attendees worrying about their safety," Sheehy said.
So far, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is the only Democrat in the chamber who has publicly indicated his support for building and funding the ballroom that would be built on the site of the demolished White House East Wing.
In the House of Representatives, Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Randy Fine of Florida also said they were drafting legislation to ensure completion of Trump's project.
On Saturday night, Trump was set to deliver a speech at the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association. It did not occur, after a man was apprehended inside the hotel where the event was occurring and he allegedly fired shots at a U.S. Secret Service agent.
Shortly after the shooting, Trump held a press conference in the White House and said that security concerns were more justification to continue building his ballroom.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Michael Learmonth and David Gregorio)
