WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Leader, Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee released the following statement on May 16 after winning their challenge before the Senate Parliamentarian, who advised that funding for Trump’s gilded ballroom would be subject to a 60-vote Byrd Rule point of order.
“Throwing a billion taxpayer dollars at Trump’s gold-plated ballroom is the last thing Congress should be doing while hardworking Americans are getting crushed at the gas pump, at the grocery store, and by higher housing, health care, and home energy costs. That’s why Senate Democrats fought tooth and nail to strip the funding for Trump’s gold-plated ballroom from this Republican funding bill.”
“Republicans’ only focus has been funding Trump’s ballroom and throwing tens of billions more taxpayer dollars at ICE and Border Patrol without any reforms or accountability – all while providing $0 in cost relief to American families. Senate Democrats are focused on bringing down costs, and throughout this process, Democrats will continue to show the American people that we are fighting to make it easier for families to get ahead and build an economy where families thrive and billionaires pay their fair share.”
Following this guidance from the Senate Parliamentarian, Republicans will either have to strip the provision from the bill, or Democrats will raise a Byrd Rule point of order on the floor, and the provision will fail to get the necessary 60 votes to remain in the bill. Democrats are prepared to challenge any future language the Republicans try to pass to use taxpayer dollars to fund Trump’s ballroom.
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