Senate Democrats are preparing to challenge a $1 billion security funding proposal for President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project that Republicans have included in a broader spending bill. The funding would be designated for the U.S. Secret Service to provide "security adjustments and upgrades" related to the ballroom construction.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announced Monday that Democrats will fight the proposal through multiple tactics, including pushing the Senate parliamentarian to strike the ballroom security funding from the budget bill and offering amendments to force Republicans to vote specifically on the measure. In a letter to colleagues, Schumer criticized what he called a "deficit-busting, party-line bill" that funds immigration enforcement and the ballroom project.

The security funding proposal emerged after Cole Tomas Allen was charged with attempting to storm the April 25 White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton with weapons. Republicans are using budget reconciliation procedures to advance the spending legislation without Democratic votes. The ballroom project itself would cost an estimated $400 million in private funds, according to Trump, but security costs had not previously been quantified.

Some Republican lawmakers have expressed uncertainty about supporting the security funding. Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia said he wants to understand the exact nature of the expenditures and how they fit into total construction costs before making a decision. The legislation specifies that the $1 billion may only be used for security features, not other construction elements.

According to White House court documents, the East Wing ballroom project would include bomb shelters, military installations, and medical facilities underneath the 90,000-square-foot structure. The project has faced legal challenges from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, though a federal appeals court has allowed construction to continue pending litigation. The Senate is expected to begin voting on the legislation this week.