Key facts
- Six GOP senators voted to block President Trump's White House ballroom expansion.
- The amendment sought to give Congress sole authority over the ballroom's construction.
- The amendment would have barred federal or private funds for the project.
Six Republican senators voted with Democrats on a proposal to block the construction of President Trump's planned 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), aimed to grant Congress sole authority for authorizing the construction of a new ballroom and to prohibit the use of any federal or private funds for the project. This vote represents a significant congressional challenge to the executive branch's renovation plans.