Tillis could – Sen. Thom Tillis says he will not support a GOP budget reconciliation package if it reaches the Senate floor this week in its current form, citing a $1 billion Secret Service allocation tied to security upgrades for President Donald Trump’s proposed White Hous
For North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, the fight over a looming budget vote isn’t just about money. It’s about timing, leverage, and whether the Senate is being pushed into moving faster than the rules—or the politics—can handle.
In an email to his Republican colleagues. Tillis warned he will not support a $72 billion GOP budget reconciliation bill “in its current form” if it reaches the Senate floor this week. The package. designed to fund immigration enforcement operations for the rest of President Donald Trump’s second term. would also set aside $1 billion for the Secret Service. That allocation includes security upgrades to Trump’s proposed White House ballroom.
Tillis said he is raising concerns not only about the funding itself, but about the project’s timeline. He also accused the White House of pressing the Senate with an “arbitrary” June 1 deadline for passing the bill.
The pressure has landed in the middle of a more delicate problem: party unity. Tillis is reportedly “still fuming” over Sen. Bill Cassidy’s loss in Louisiana’s Republican primary, and believes forcing votes this week could hurt Sen. John Cornyn ahead of his Texas runoff. Tillis urged Cornyn to focus on campaigning in Texas this week rather than staying in Washington for votes.
Other Senate Republicans are also sounding alarm bells about the same ballroom funding line. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul have all questioned the inclusion of the ballroom money after Trump repeatedly said the project would be funded completely by private donors.
The dispute has now collided with the Senate’s own procedural reality. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough said over the weekend that the ballroom funding could not be included in the reconciliation package as it is currently written. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it will continue to be revised until MacDonough approves it.
Republican leaders still want a vote this week, but with a narrow majority, they have little room to lose support. In his email. Tillis warned that pushing quickly would be a bad idea because the ballroom funding poses a “major policy problem.” He also compared the “airdrop” of the ballroom language into the bill to the last-minute insertion of healthcare funding cuts and policy changes in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
For the moment, GOP leaders say the legislation is on track to pass a committee vote on Wednesday, and they plan to bring it to the floor on Thursday. From there, the bill would face a vote-a-rama, giving Democrats an opportunity to offer amendments.
The coming days will show whether Tillis’s red line hardens into a broader GOP breakdown—or whether the ballroom language can be reshaped quickly enough to satisfy the Senate rules, the White House timeline, and the thin margin that holds the floor together.
Thom Tillis John Thune Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough budget reconciliation White House ballroom funding Secret Service $1 billion Secret Service security upgrades immigration enforcement operations June 1 deadline John Cornyn Texas runoff Bill Cassidy Louisiana Republican primary Susan Collins Lisa Murkowski Rand Paul vote-a-rama Senate floor vote Thursday committee vote Wednesday