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A2 U.S. NEWS
Friday 24 OctOber 2025
What lawmakers are saying about Trump’s demolition of the East

Wing

By KEVIN FREKING friends of mine” will pay for
Associated Press the ballroom, at no cost to
WASHINGTON (AP) — taxpayers.
They’re divided along par- The White House saw the
ty lines on policy. They’re addition of the East Wing
divided on the govern- in 1942 to house additional
ment shutdown. And now staff and offices. The White
federal lawmakers are di- House Historical Associa-
vided on the demolition of tion says the construction
the East Wing of the White was controversial due to
House to make room for its timing during wartime.
the 90,000-square-foot ball- Congressional Republicans
room that President Donald labeled the expenditure as
Trump wants to build. wasteful, with some accus-
The stunning images of the ing Roosevelt of using the
teardown this week have project to bolster his presi-
left Democratic lawmak- dency’s image.
ers incensed. Republicans, Senate Majority Leader
meanwhile, are likening Chuck Schumer’s open-
it to a long line of White ing remarks on the Senate
House renovations over the floor Wednesday sought to
years. There was Franklin tie the president’s work on
Delano Roosevelt’s swim- the East Wing to the current
ming pool addition, now Debris is seen at a largely demolished part of the East Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. government shutdown,
covered over, they said. 23, 2025, in Washington, before construction of a new ballroom. saying that Trump was not
There was Barack Obama’s Associated Press focused on dealing with
basketball court, a ten- into Sen. Jeff Merkley’s 22 a symbol of our Republic holding about 200 people. the issue of threatened
nis court adapted so that hour-plus speech on the and building a symbol that He has frowned on the past health care coverage for
it could be used for tennis Senate floor. is really a symbol about au- practice of presidents host- millions of Americans but
and basketball. And Wil- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., thoritarian power, about a ing state dinners and other on “vanity projects like this
liam Taft added the Oval showed Merkley a picture government that serves the large events in tents on the one that don’t do anything
Office, Speaker Mike John- of the smashed East Wing rich,” Merkley said. South Lawn. to benefit the American
son, R-La., noted. and asked the Oregon sen- Trump says the White House The White House has said people. They only benefit
“The ballroom is going to ator to describe what he needs a large entertaining the ballroom will be ready Trump and his ego.”
be glorious,” Johnson said. saw and the significance space and has complained for use well before Trump’s Republican senators were
Across the Capitol, Demo- of it. that the East Room, the term ends in January 2029, dismissive at times of ques-
cratic senators incorpo- “Here we have evidence of current largest space in the an ambitious timeline. tions about the East Wing
rated the teardown photos the president tearing down White House, is too small Trump said “me and some teardown. q

California union proposes taxing billionaires to offset Medicaid

cuts

By SOPHIE AUSTIN eral funding cuts to health tax would be on the net initiative said it was critical year will cut more than $1
Associated Press care for low-income peo- worth of California’s richest to backfill cuts to Medicaid trillion over a decade from
SACRAMENTO, Calif. ple. residents. A small portion of because lives are at stake. Medicaid and federal
(AP) — A major union an- Proponents, including the the money would also help “If we do not do this, mil- food assistance.
nounced a proposal Thurs- Service Employees Interna- fund K-12 education since lions of people are going The California Budget and
day to impose a one-time tional Union, hope to place the federal government to lose health care, an Policy Center, a think tank
5% tax on billionaires in the statewide measure be- has threatened to with- untold number of people in Sacramento, estimated
California to address fed- fore voters next year. The hold grant money from will go without treatment the state could lose $30
public schools. and there will be tragedy billion in federal funding a
Backers of the measure after tragedy,” said Dave year for Medicaid, which
sent a request to Attor- Regan, president of SEIU- would result in up to 3.4 mil-
ney General Rob Bonta United Healthcare Work- lion people losing their cov-
this week to get approval ers West. Billionaires would erage.Newsom said earlier
to start collecting signa- have to pay for tax year this month that people en-
tures. The proposal would 2026, and the money could rolled in Covered Califor-
have to receive more than start being appropriated in nia, the state’s health insur-
870,000 signatures by next 2027. The tax would gener- ance marketplace, could
spring to qualify for the bal- ate $100 billion in revenue see their monthly health
lot in November 2026. If it for the state, backers say. care bills nearly double
qualifies, it’s not guaran- The initiative says it’s “de- next year as a result of the
teed to pass. Democratic signed to make the State spending cuts law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, for tax system more equita- “California has led the na-
example, has opposed tax ble.” tion in expanding access
Pediatrician Irving Phillips, left, examines a 16-month-old boy hikes in the past, including The big tax and spending to affordable health care,
at a CommuniCARE+OLE clinic, June 26, 2025, in Davis, Calif. those specifically targeting cuts law President Donald but Donald Trump is rip-
Associated Press the rich. Proponents of the Trump signed earlier this ping it away,” he said.q