Visits: 2
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote a letter to President Donald Trump indicating that his July Fourth extravaganza at the Lincoln Memorial has contributed to dangerously depleting a city fund used to provide security at special events like rallies and state funerals and that she’d like the city to be fully reimbursed.
Bowser said that the president’s event, in combination with additional demonstrations around the holiday, cost the city $1.7 million. Bowser also wrote that the city has yet to be reimbursed for the $7.3 million in security costs associated with the president’s inauguration in 2017.
“We ask for your help with ensuring the residents of the District of Columbia are not asked to cover millions of dollars of federal expenses and are able to maintain our high standards of protection for federal events,” Bowser wrote.
The depleted account, known as the Emergency Planning and Security Fund, is forecast to have a $6 million deficit by the end of the fiscal year, Bowser wrote.
“It is critical that the EPSD is fully reimbursed for these funds to ensure the District can uphold proper security and support during the remainder of the fiscal year without incurring a deficit for federal activities,” Bowser wrote.
While the president’s Fourth of July event contributed to the account’s depletion, Bowser also cited underfunding by Congress and other unplanned major events, such as former President George H.W. Bush’s funeral, that have contributed to the fund’s depletion.
The White House did not immediately provide a response to Bowser’s letter. But the president has said that he plans to hold a similar event next July Fourth.
“It was something really special. And I will say this: It was a wonderful day for all Americans. And based on its tremendous success, we’re just making the decision — and I can think we can say we’ve made the decision — to do it again next year, and, maybe we can say, for the foreseeable future,” Trump said Monday.
In addition to the costs incurred by the city, the Pentagon has estimated that the president’s “Salute to America” event cost the military $1.2 million. The costs to the military included military flyovers and the transportation of Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
The Department of Interior has yet to release an estimate of the costs of the carrying out the event, which also heavily relied on the National Park Service.
