Dispute over luxury building Will Trump finally get his ballroom thanks to assassination attempt?
The incident at the gala dinner in Washington has brought movement to Trump's controversial building project in the White House. Republicans are pushing for rapid implementation, but the necessary support is lacking in the Senate.
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- After the attempted assassination at a dinner in Washington, Republicans are putting pressure on the Senate to quickly approve the planned ballroom in the White House.
- Republicans increasingly see the project as a security measure, but are encountering resistance from Democrats in the Senate.
- Disagreement over costs and procedures is making rapid implementation even more difficult.
Following the shots fired on the sidelines of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, political pressure is growing in Washington to realize the planned ballroom in the White House quickly. President Donald Trump's project had previously been halted after a court ruled that Congress must give its express approval.
Many Republicans now see the ballroom not just as a prestige project, but as a security issue. Senator Lindsey Graham stated that he had spoken directly to Trump and demanded that the project be "accelerated".
Senator Eric Schmitt also emphasized that the incident had "renewed" the focus on finding ways to implement the construction without delay.
Several Republican senators want to push ahead with corresponding legislative initiatives as early as this week, reports "Politico". However, the project is facing considerable hurdles: The Senate lacks the necessary support to overcome a blockade, especially as the Democrats clearly oppose the project.
Disagreement among Republicans too
There is particular criticism of the fact that Trump allowed the existing East Wing to be demolished without sufficient consultation. Chuck Schumer, minority leader of the Democrats, said: "If Republicans really want to improve security, they should work with Democrats to fund the Secret Service - not Donald Trump's luxury ballroom."
There is also disagreement within the Republican Party itself. While Graham has earmarked up to 400 million dollars for the construction, others such as Senator Rand Paul are arguing for significantly lower funding. It is also considered unlikely that the project will be included in an ongoing budget bill to fund border protection and immigration authorities.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune was correspondingly cautious and only spoke of sounding out what was "feasible". Graham is nevertheless backing a stand-alone bill: "Let's try it as a separate bill - and if that fails, we need a plan B."
