A shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner has added urgency to President Donald Trump's new ballroom project at the White House. Senate Republicans are pushing a bill to fund it, citing national security concerns.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, is leading the effort to get the ballroom built, which would include a 90,000-square-foot space with a military complex and Secret Service annex beneath it.
The bill proposes using customs fees and national park fees to offset the costs, with private donations also being considered.
Construction on the East Wing, where the ballroom is planned, has faced legal issues, but an appellate court has allowed it to continue until early June.
Trump has defended the project, saying the White House lacks a suitable space for formal events and that the ballroom will be a 'finest ballroom of its kind anywhere in the world.'
