Republicans expected to abandon $1 billion security proposal for WH, Trump’s ballroom

Senate Republican leaders are expected to abandon a proposal for $1 billion in security money for the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom on Thursday amid backlash from members of their own party.

Pressured by the White House, Republicans tried to add the money to a roughly $70 billion bill to restore funding to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol.

But the security proposal met with opposition from some GOP lawmakers who are questioning the timing of the request, the high cost and how the taxpayer dollars would be used.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-SD, acknowledged “ongoing vote issues” on Wednesday as leaders tried to measure Republican support and figure out what will be allowed in the bill under the chamber’s rules.

Sen John Kennedy, R-La, told reporters Wednesday that the bill was “back to square one” without the security money because “the votes are not there.”  Thune hopes to pass the bill this week and send it to the House before leaving for a weeklong Memorial Day recess. But the bill’s text has still not been released as leaders were wrangling over the security proposal and new GOP concerns over the Trump administration’s $1.776 billion settlement fund.