Republican lawmakers say shooting proves need for Trump ballroom

By Thérèse Boudreaux
The Center Square

In light of the Saturday shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, congressional Republicans are calling for an end to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown and new funding for construction of the White House ballroom.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the incident – which occurred Saturday in the banquet hall of the Washington, D.C. Hilton., less than two miles from the White House – proves a presidential ballroom “is a national security necessity.”

Graham will introduce legislation Monday to authorize funding to fully fund construction of a White House ballroom, “which over time will provide adequate security for this president and future presidents for events like the White House Correspondents Dinner.”

President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and members of Trump’s cabinet were at the event and were rushed out. A Secret Service agent suffered injuries and the shooter is in custody. Trump spoke to the agent who was shot and said he was doing OK.

Graham argues that the Secret Service “will be one of the largest beneficiaries of the ballroom because they will have immense control over the security environment of future events with a very hardened facility.”

On that note, Graham and others called for Senate Democrats to reopen all of DHS, which houses the Secret Service and has remained shut down for a staggering 73 days.

“Secret Service agents risked their lives to stop an attack on President Trump and senior members of our government this weekend. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are holding their paychecks and the entire Department of Homeland Security HOSTAGE,” Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., said Monday on social media. “The Senate must FULLY fund DHS immediately.”

Republicans’ shutdown demands, however, are almost certainly moot. Shutdown negotiations between Republicans and Democrats have completely fallen apart, with Republicans pursuing a party-line budget reconciliation bill as a last resort.

Senate Democrats have repeatedly refused to support a full Homeland Security annual funding bill unless it includes dramatic reforms to federal immigration enforcement operations.

As a result, Republican leaders split off annual ICE and Border Patrol funding from the bill and plan to pass it through the filibuster-proof reconciliation process.

Despite party leaders’ desire to keep the bill narrowed on ICE and CBP funding only, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, now wants to tag ballroom funding onto the bill as well, rather than risk a stand-alone bill like Graham’s.

The House Rules Committee is preparing the Senate-passed budget resolution, the blueprint for the budget reconciliation bill, for a floor vote Wednesday. Roy, a member of the committee, has not yet proposed an amendment to the bill as of Monday afternoon.