Lawmaker touts privately funded White House ballroom then says $400 million bill will be introduced

A lawmaker announced plans to build a ‘‘presidential ballroom’’ and repeatedly said private donors and the speaker would cover the cost, asserting that the project would use “Zero taxpayer dollars.”

The speaker pressed the point several times: “We're building a ballroom. We did this ... uh no charge to the taxpayer whatsoever. I'm going to get a ballroom built and ... we're putting up our own money ... Zero taxpayer dollars,” the lawmaker said, asking “Is that right, Scott? Zero taxpayer dollars.”

Scott, who spoke after the initial remarks, offered a dollar figure while echoing the private-funding claim: “300 million is the figure uh and again, it's not going to cost the taxpayers a dime,” he said.

Minutes later the same lawmaker said they intended to introduce legislation that would authorize public spending to build the same ballroom. “We're going to introduce legislation that would authorize $400 million to be spent to build the presidential ballroom,” the lawmaker said, adding that “the sooner we get the ballroom built, the better for the country.”

The lawmaker framed the measure as a national-security investment and urged support: “If you don't think $400 million of taxpayer money is a good investment to create a secure facility at the White House, vote no. Vote no.”

The transcript records both the claim that the project would cost taxpayers nothing and an announced plan to seek authorization for $400 million in public spending; the record does not reconcile those statements or identify how both would apply to the same project. The transcript also does not identify the legislative body, the bill sponsorship details, or any formal motion or vote related to the proposal.

No statutes, ordinances, or formal actions were recorded in the transcript beyond the lawmaker's statement of intent to introduce legislation authorizing up to $400 million. The transcript does not specify sources or mechanisms for the $300 million or $400 million figures cited, nor does it show any recorded vote or formal adoption of funding.