Rick Scott on the White House ballroom: "We don't need taxpayer money"

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) has taken a strong position against using $400 million of taxpayer money to build President Donald Trump's ballroom, stating that "we don't need taxpayer money for it, because the project is already privately funded."

His main argument lies in the need to exercise strict fiscal discipline in the face of the nation's ballooning deficit.

In an interview given to NBC News Monday night, the Florida lawmaker argued that a project of this magnitude must be paid for entirely by the private sector. "I don't know why you would do it" with tax money "if it's already all funded," Scott said, questioning the logic of adding expenses to the federal budget.

For the senator, the country's economic situation does not allow for concessions in public spending. "We have $39 trillion in debt," he bluntly reminded, adding that "maybe we should stop spending money."

National security vs. budgetary responsibility

Scott remarked that the work is necessary to protect the top brass of the government, and insisted that the funds are already available outside the state apparatus. In a statement obtained by The Hill, the senator called on Democrats to allow the project to move forward without saddling citizens with the bill.

"We need the ballroom and lDemocrats need to get over their Trump Derangement Syndrome and stop holding it back. We don't need tax dollars for it because the project is already paid for with private funds," Scott said.

Originally, President Donald Trump's plan called for the new structure to be funded through donations. However, the urgency generated by the recent attempted attack on the Washington Hilton hotel has led other party members to propose a permanent, public funding avenue.

Subway infrastructure: Lindsey Graham's plan.

On the other side of the internal debate, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is spearheading a legislative initiative to authorize the $400 million.

Joined by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Graham argues that the project is much more than an event hall. The design includes an subway military facility and a strategic annex for the Secret Service, vital in cases of national emergency.

To mitigate the fiscal impact, proponents suggest offsetting the costs with customs tariffs and use fees in national parks. Graham drew a distinction between what is defense infrastructure and what is interior decorating.

"Underneath there will be a lot of military stuff. There will be a Secret Service annex and we'll pay for it by offsetting it with customs fees," Graham explained during a press conference. "Private donations can be used, but I think they should be used to buy [fine] china and things like that," he said.

The Republican proposal seeks to ensure that the president and his Cabinet have an armored space within the White House grounds. According to Graham, the vulnerability shown at outside events is unacceptable.

"I'm convinced that, had there been a presidential ballroom adjacent to the White House, the guy would never have gotten in," the lawmaker sentenced, referring to last weekend's attack and stressing that national command security must take precedence over logistical disputes.

Author's note: The original version of this article stated that Senator Scott positioned himself as "the first sign of internal dissent within the Republican bloc" regarding the ballroom construction promoted by President Trump. It has been corrected and updated to more accurately reflect the lawmaker's position.