Speaker Mike Johnson speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON – U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed for increased funding for the Secret Service on Wednesday, arguing that most of the money Senate Republicans earmarked for the agency in their immigration enforcement bill would be for security purposes, not for building a novel White House ballroom.
But the Louisiana Republican added during a morning news conference that he did not want to “pre-judge” the $72 billion package before the Senate approves a final version this month and sends it to the House.
“I don’t have a pen in the Senate. They write the bill,” he said. “We’ll see what we get.”
Johnson noted that the legislation still needs to go through several more steps in the Senate, including a review by the parliamentarian to ensure that all provisions meet strict rules the reconciliation processCommittee debate and a marathon vote on amendments in plenary.
Johnson said President Donald Trump is “happy to build a ballroom with private funds,” although that project comes with some additional requirements that will likely require taxpayer money.
“The Secret Service says that as we improve the White House grounds and modernize there, we obviously need to think differently about security,” he said. “We live in a very dangerous time and there are new and increasing threats that we have never faced before. So Congress has a role in funding and we need to see how everything works.”
“Urgent request”
Johnson pushed the bill through Republicans in the Senate published last week “defined very specifically” how the Secret Service could operate the additional funds.
The legislation would provide $1 billion, available through September 30, 2029, for “security adjustments and upgrades… to support U.S. intelligence improvements related to.” the east wing modernization project.”
The bill would prevent the Secret Service from using the funds “for non-security elements.”
Johnson said Republican lawmakers added the funding to the immigration control bill after the Secret Service “made an urgent request for additional security measures.”
“We’ve needed some of these safety measures for a long time,” he said. “And that’s what this is about.”
Congress allocated $3.25 billion to the Secret Service as part of the annual Department of Homeland Security funding bill that lawmakers submitted passed End of April.
Republicans approved an additional $1.17 billion for the Secret Service in their “big, beautiful” bill, which the agency can operate for staffing, training, technology, and performance, retention and contract bonuses through September 2029.
Normally, the White House Budget Office would publicly submit a request for additional spending to Congress and ask lawmakers to approve the additional money. This would then be reviewed by the appropriations committees, but that was not the case in this case.
The Trump administration could also have planned for increased funding the budget request Officials sent Congress in early April asking members to approve $3.5 billion for the Secret Service in the annual funding bill for the agency, which is due by the end of September.
Funding breakdown
Secret Service Director Sean Curran gave Republican senators more details about how the agency plans to operate the additional funding during a closed-door luncheon this week, although the bill would not require the agency to spend the money as described.
A breakdown obtained by States Newsroom revealed:
- $220 million would be used to “strengthen” the East Wing modernization project with additional bulletproof glass, drone detection technologies and filtration systems to detect chemical or other contaminants.
- $180 million would go toward building a “long overdue” visitor screening facility at the White House.
- $175 million would strengthen the Secret Service’s training and training facilities.
- $175 million would lend a hand the agency “secure frequently visited venues that are at increased risk due to their public visibility and static nature.”
- $150 million would go to the intelligence division focused on drones, aircraft strikes, biological threats and “other emerging threats through investments in cutting-edge technologies.”
- $100 million for “high-profile national events that require extensive planning.”
Republican senators said after that meeting that they wanted more information Before they vote on the package, the Secret Service will tell them exactly how the agency would spend the additional funds.
Thune predicts the passage next week
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday morning that most Republican senators will ultimately support the additional funding for intelligence “needed to allow them to do their jobs.”
“Obviously the modernization of the East Wing has security implications. And I think that represents about 20% of the Secret Service’s total request,” he said. “I think the rest of it is things that they’ve been putting off for a long time but that need to be done, especially in a modern threat environment where there have been, you know, three assassination attempts in the last two years.”
Thune said his “targeted timeline” is for committees to debate their bills early next week and consider the overall package later in the week.
“It can always be influenced by other factors,” he said. “But I think, at least for now, that’s the goal.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a speech that Trump’s focus on building a “gilded ballroom” shows the president “lives in the theater of the absurd.”
Schumer said Americans don’t want government leaders to focus on the ballroom project when inflation, food costs and gasoline prices have all risen.
“I would say Trump is completely out of touch with the American people, but that would assume that Trump was ever out of touch with the American people at all,” he said. “And when it comes to this issue, he certainly isn’t.”
