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Welcome to The Logoff: Cease me should you’ve heard this one — President Donald Trump’s proposed White Home ballroom is getting dearer (once more).
What’s occurring? On Monday night, Senate Republicans launched a proposed $70 billion(ish) immigration funding bundle — with an additional $1 billion tucked in it for an “East Wing Modernization Mission.”
Calling Trump’s challenge a “modernization” falls nicely wanting actuality — he destroyed the East Wing final yr — however he’s within the strategy of constructing an enormous new ballroom as an alternative, in addition to a deeply buried underground bunker, changing the earlier Presidential Emergency Operations Middle positioned beneath the East Wing.
The invoice textual content specifies that none of that $1 billion could also be used for “non-security parts” of the challenge, nevertheless it’s unclear how critically the White Home may take that limitation; beforehand, Trump and his legal professionals have described your entire ballroom as a nationwide safety precedence.
What’s the context? When it was introduced, Trump mentioned that the ballroom would price $200 million. Then it was $300 million, after which $400 million — nevertheless it was nonetheless all non-public cash, from donors like Nvidia and Palantir. (There are additionally clear ethics issues round firms with authorities enterprise ponying up cash for a prime private precedence of the president’s, however that’s a separate difficulty.)
Based mostly on Monday’s invoice textual content, nonetheless, the price seems to have skyrocketed — and far of it might be paid for with taxpayer {dollars}.
Is that this really going to occur? TBD. Republicans hope to cross the immigration bundle, with extra funding for ICE and CBP in addition to cash for the ballroom, via the reconciliation course of, which requires solely a easy majority to cross the Senate.
They’ve the votes to do it, if the celebration holds collectively — however as some Senate Democrats have identified, advancing the invoice will now imply giving their express blessing for Trump’s deeply unpopular development challenge.
And with that, it’s time to log out…
Right here’s an especially helpful Atlantic article that I, a power multitasker, learn with a sure diploma of horror: The Secret to Success Is ‘Monotasking.’ However even — or maybe particularly — should you’re equally stricken, it’s a fantastic piece, and you’ll learn it with a present hyperlink right here.
Have a fantastic night, and we’ll see you again right here tomorrow!
