1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

Vote to remove the $1 billion in taxpayer funding for the White House ballroom project when the reconciliation bill reaches the Senate floor this month. President Trump promised repeatedly that this vanity project would cost the public nothing, claiming "not one penny is being used from the federal government." That was false. The Republican funding bill allocates $1 billion for security enhancements tied to the East Wing demolition and ballroom construction. This is a bait and switch. Corporate donors like Comcast already paid for the construction itself. Now taxpayers are expected to cover another billion dollars in security upgrades for a 90,000 square-foot party venue that serves no essential government function. My tax dollars should help working families, not subsidize a luxury ballroom for entertaining billionaires and foreign dignitaries. If Trump wants this project, his private donors can fund the security costs too. The White House has hosted state dinners for decades without needing to demolish a historic wing and build a massive new structure. Support the Democratic effort to strip this provision from the bill. Taxpayer money belongs with taxpayers, not with a project that benefits the wealthy and well-connected.