US Speaker Johnson wants funding for the Secret Service, but is not involved in the Senate bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed Wednesday for more funding for the Secret Service, arguing that most of the money Senate Republicans included for the agency in their immigration enforcement bill is for security needs, not construction of a recent White House ballroom.

But the Louisiana Republican added during a morning news conference that he didn’t want to “prejudge” the $72 billion package before the Senate approves the final version this month and sends it to the House of Representatives.

“I don’t have a pen in the Senate. They are writing the bill,” he said. “We’ll see what we get.”

Johnson noted that the legislation still needs to go through several stages in the Senate, including review by the parliamentarian to ensure all provisions fall within strict rules reconciliation processdebate in committee and marathon voting on amendments in the chamber.

Johnson said President Donald Trump is “excited to build the ballroom using private funds,” although the project involves additional needs that will likely require taxpayer money.

“The Secret Service says that as we improve the White House grounds and make modernizations there, we obviously have to think differently about security,” he said. “We live in very dangerous times and there are new and growing threats that we have never faced before. That’s why Congress has a role to play in funding them, and we’ll have to see how it all pans out.”

“Urgent Request”

Johnson confirmed the Republican Senate bill released last week “defined in great detail” how the Secret Service could operate the additional funds.

The legislation will provide $1 billion, available through September 30, 2029, for “security corrections and enhancements… to support improvements made by the United States Secret Service in connection with modernization project of the eastern wing“

The bill would restrict the Secret Service from using any funds “for non-security items.”

Johnson said GOP lawmakers added funding to the immigration enforcement spending bill after the Secret Service “made an urgent request for additional security measures.”

“Some of these safety measures have been needed for a long time,” he said. “And that’s what it’s all about.”

Congress provided $3.25 billion to the Secret Service as part of the annual funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security that lawmakers passed at the end of April.

Republicans approved an additional $1.17 billion for the Secret Service in their “big, beautiful” bill, which the agency can operate through September 2029 for staffing, training, technology, as well as performance, retention and contracting bonuses.

Typically, the White House budget office would publicly send a spending request to Congress, asking lawmakers to approve the extra money. This would then be reviewed by the Appropriations Committees, although that did not happen in this case.

The Trump administration could also include increased funding budget request In early April, officials sent a request to Congress to approve $3.5 billion for the Secret Service as part of the agency’s annual funding bill, which is due by the end of September.

Division of financing

Secret Service Director Sean Curran provided more details to Republican senators about how the agency plans to operate the additional funds during a closed-door lunch this week, although the bill does not actually require the agency to spend the money as intended.

A breakdown obtained by States Newsroom showed:

• The $220 million will be used to “strengthen” the East Wing modernization project by adding additional bulletproof glass, drone detection technology and filtration systems designed to detect chemicals and other contaminants.
• The $180 million will go toward building a “long-awaited” facility to screen White House visitors.
• The $175 million would strengthen Secret Service training and its training infrastructure.
• The $175 million will support the agency “secure high-traffic sites that are at increased risk due to their public visibility and static nature.”
• The $150 million will go to a division of the Secret Service that focuses on drones, aircraft incursions, biological threats and “other emerging threats through investments in cutting-edge technologies.”
• $100 million for “high-profile national events requiring significant planning.”

Republican senators said yes after that meeting I wanted more information from the Secret Service on exactly how the agency will spend the additional funds before they vote on the package.

Thune anticipates a flight next week

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-D., said Wednesday morning that a majority of GOP senators would ultimately support additional funding for the Secret Service “that is needed to enable them to do their job.”

“Obviously, there are security implications of upgrading the east wing. I think it represents about 20% of the total request from the Secret Service,” he said. “I think the balance is things that have been long overdue but need to be done, especially in the face of a modern threat where, you know, there have been three assassination attempts in the last two years.”

Thune said his “aspirational timeline” is for committees to discuss their bills early next week and then work on the full package will begin later in the week.

“There can always be other factors at play,” he said. “But I think at least that’s the goal now.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a floor speech that Trump’s focus on building a “gilded ballroom” shows the president is “living in a 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 risen.

“I would say that Trump has completely lost touch with the American people, but that would assume that Trump has ever had any contact with the American people,” he said. “And that is certainly not the case in this case.”