On Wednesday, Senate Republicans decided to remove a contentious proposal to allocate $1 billion for security related to President Trump’s White House ballroom project. The decision came after significant opposition from within their ranks.

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana stated, “My understanding is that the security money has come out, and my understanding is it’s because the votes aren’t there,” following a meeting with fellow Republican senators.

While the bill is still under development, GOP leaders have not disclosed full details of the provisions. It remains uncertain whether they will attempt to transfer general funds for the Secret Service into the legislation, allowing the funds to serve a similar purpose without direct ties to the ballroom project.

By removing the funding from the bill, which is expected to undergo a vote on Thursday, Republicans signaled their reluctance to support the ballroom project directly. This represents a setback for the White House and highlights the limitations of President Trump’s influence over Senate Republicans during his second term.

The initial proposal was included in a bill aimed at funding President Trump’s immigration policies, budgeting approximately $72 billion towards these efforts. However, the plan encountered significant barriers. The Senate’s nonpartisan parliamentarian ruled that the inclusion of the ballroom funding conflicted with legislative procedures shielding the bill from a Democratic filibuster. Consequently, Republicans were left with the option to either remove or modify the provisions to comply.