Senators Alarmed After OMB Redirects $352M — Could It Fund Trump’s White House Ballroom?

Last week the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reclassified $352 million that Congress had earmarked for Secret Service capabilities into an account labeled "White House Security Measures," according to NOTUS. The funds were originally established by last year’s tax legislation referred to in coverage as the "Big Beautiful Bill."

Bipartisan Concern

Lawmakers from both parties say the move looks suspiciously like an attempt to divert public money toward President Trump’s planned White House ballroom.

"I don’t know whether it’s the ballroom, but it sounds like the ballroom," Democratic Senator Brian Schatz told NOTUS.

"That’s a big problem," Republican Senator Thom Tillis said. "That sounds like a different way to fund the East Wing project... On its face it doesn’t sound right."

Democratic Senator Chris Coons added: "I think there’s been more and more credible coverage that President Trump was just flat-out lying when he said the taxpayers will not pay a dime for his ballroom. I think he is now trying to find ways to funnel public money into it."

Costs, Context, And Past Uses

The ballroom project is estimated to cost about $600 million, and a recent Washington Post report said roughly half of that — about $300 million — could fall to taxpayers. If the $352 million transfer were used for the East Wing modernization or ballroom, it would cover a substantial portion of the public share.

Reporting notes previous reassignments of similar funds for purchases such as a luxury jet for former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and for "border security executive travel." Those examples have heightened scrutiny of how the administration repurposes funds established by its own budget law.

OMB Response

When NOTUS asked an OMB official about the transfer, the official voluntarily mentioned the ballroom, saying: "The ballroom will be built with private donations the President has secured." The statement also emphasized that the administration views additional White House security needs and Secret Service support as part of the East Wing Modernization.

Observers and some members of Congress are calling for greater transparency: if the funds were moved to support East Wing security, lawmakers say the OMB should detail how the money will be spent and whether it displaces planned Secret Service investments.

What Comes Next

Congressional appropriators and oversight committees can demand documentation and justification for the transfer. Until OMB provides a clear breakdown of how the reclassified $352 million will be allocated, questions about whether any of it will effectively subsidize private projects — including the ballroom — are likely to persist.