A group of seven Republican senators joined Democrats in a decisive vote to halt the construction of the White House ballroom, stipulating that congressional authorization would be required for any such project.

The measure, which needed 60 votes to pass, was part of an amendment to the GOP’s $70 billion immigration enforcement bill. Initially, Republicans sought to allocate $220 million in security funding for the ballroom but were compelled to remove it following opposition and the constraints of the reconciliation process designed to bypass the filibuster.

The amendment would have prohibited federal funds and private donations from being used for the ballroom’s construction unless President Trump received explicit approval from Congress. The vote on this measure resulted in a 53-46 tally.

Senators Collins, Husted, and Sullivan—who are all running for re-election in key battleground states—also defected from their party earlier to oppose an amendment aimed at blocking the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization” fund. Senator Cassidy, who recently lost his primary challenge, obtained permission to shift his stance after the vote concluded.

“Trump has fought for his ballroom harder than he’s ever fought to lower your costs,” stated the office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in a recent declaration.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) added: “As the cost of groceries, gas, and housing continues to rise, a gilded White House ballroom is the last thing taxpayer dollars should be spent on. But Senate Republicans just voted down an amendment that would ensure this ballroom receives no federal funding without congressional approval.”

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) noted: “In the initial version of Senate Republicans’ budget bill, they attempted to give Trump $1 billion in taxpayer money for his ballroom. Democrats fought back and forced Republicans to remove this wasteful spending.”

Rosen further stated: “We know that Trump will do anything he can to get his way—so Senate Democrats pushed for a vote today to guarantee he can never use taxpayer funds for the ballroom. Republicans refused to join us and blocked our efforts.”

Senate Republicans removed a provision that would have provided up to $1 billion in federal funding for the ballroom from the revised budget reconciliation bill released by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week.

The original budget package included $1 billion for security upgrades at the White House and the new ballroom, a move that drew significant backlash from Republican senators.