On this week’s episode of Highway to Hill: After demolishing the East Wing of the White House last year, President Trump wants Congress to fund his massive ballroom project — to the tune of $1 billion. Charlie and SoRelle break down why Trump needs congressional approval (a judge ruled construction can’t continue without “express authorization”), how Republicans are trying to sneak ballroom funding into a Secret Service security package through budget reconciliation, and whether this has anything to do with actual security concerns or if it’s just about rubber-stamping a vanity project. What’s in that billion dollars anyway?
Then, in the Gavel Drop: SoRelle catches us up on the Senate’s latest attempt to stymie the president with a War Powers Resolution; plus, Nebraska Democrats are trying a Hail Mary strategy by dropping out of the Senate race entirely to support an independent candidate. Will ditching the toxic party brand work, or is this just giving up on party-building in red states?
This week’s syllabus 📚
“Americans oppose Trump ballroom 2-to-1; even more oppose his signature on money” (Emily Guskin, ABC News)
“Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and Partisanship in the U. S. Senate” (Frances Lee, University of Chicago Press)
“Senate G.O.P. Stands by Security Money for Trump’s Ballroom” (Carl Husle, New York Times)
“Republicans are sweating about the White House ballroom project” (Hans Nichols, Axios)
“Federal judge orders Trump pause construction on White House ballroom” (Jacob Wendler and Cheyanne M. Daniels, POLITICO)
“3 Republicans Join Democrats in Closest Senate Vote Yet to Halt Iran War” (Nik Popli, Time Magazine)
“❓What happened last night: Nebraska gets the Ricketts-Osborn Senate showdown” (Geoffrey Skelley, DecisionDeskHQ)
