President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, which was supposed to be privately funded, will now be paid for by taxpayers. Republican lawmakers now see the ballroom as a necessity for the “safety” of US presidents and initially proposed $400 million in taxpayer money to be used for its construction. But the budget has drastically ballooned since, as Republicans are now demanding $1 billion for the ballroom.
Lawmakers wrote in the document that additional funding is necessary for security upgrades. The Secret Service facilities “above-ground and below-ground” for the ballroom were also accounted for in the costing. Although the number is controversial, the document also indicated that the figure will be appropriated for general security adjustments and upgrades within the White House Compound.
