Golden Ballroom Slush Fund Violates Byrd Rule, According to Senate Parliamentarian

Washington, D.C. - Today, the Senate Parliamentarian advised that the provision in the Judiciary Committee title of the Republicans' bill that provides $1 billion for Trump's gilded ballroom would be subject to a 60-vote threshold if it remains in the bill.

"The American people shouldn't spend a single dime on Trump's gold-plated ballroom boondoggle. That's why in a bill where Republicans are ignoring the needs of working America and instead attempting to funnel a billion dollars into Trump's Louis XIV-style ballroom and throw tens of billions more at two lawless agencies, Democrats are fighting back," said Ranking Member Jeff Merkley. "While we expect Republicans to change this bill to appease Trump, Democrats are prepared to challenge any change to this bill. We cannot let Republicans waste our national treasure on a mission of chaos and corruption while turning a blind eye to the needs of the American people."

Provisions Subject to a 60-Vote Byrd Rule Point of Order

United States Secret Service (Section 5)

This section provides $1 billion to the U.S. Secret Service for the ballroom project in the East Wing of the White House. A project as complex and large in scale as Trump's proposed ballroom necessarily involves the coordination of many government agencies which span the jurisdiction of many Senate committees. As drafted, the provision inappropriately funds activities outside the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee.

The Parliamentarian's advice is based on whether a provision is appropriate for reconciliation and conforms to the limitations of the Byrd Rule; it is not a judgement on the relative merits of a particular policy.

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