Democrats Want Federal Government to Pick Up Tab for Trump Protection in NYC
They've asked for $35 million to cover security expenses in NYC.
— -- The NYPD has been providing additional security for Donald Trump in New York since Election Day, to the tune of about $500,000 day — and New York Democrats want the federal government to pay for it.
Top New York City–area House Democrats appeared with NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to call on Congress to provide NYC with $35 million, which he said would cover security expenses for Trump between Election Day and the inauguration.
The figure covers the cost of extra officers assigned to cover Trump Tower, along with the overtime they accrue.
"New York taxpayers must not pick up the tab," said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.
Should Trump's family remain in New York City, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., and other New York Democrats want Washington to cover the additional costs of securing Trump Tower.
The Trump family has said Melania Trump and Barron Trump will remain in New York through the spring, so Barron can finish school in the city.
Miller said the security plan — devised with the Secret Service — and its costs take into account the difficulties of securing a skyscraper on one of the busiest streets in the city.
Asked about those difficulties, Miller said, "If I could have picked a place to secure, it would have been among the very last."
Lowey and other New York Democrats want the funding included in a year-end spending bill that Congress is expected to pass this week.
Money for the city is "in the mix" for the spending bill, according to a representative for House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky.
As of Tuesday afternoon, House Republicans floated a counteroffer that included less federal compensation than the New York Democrats requested.
"No decisions have been made," the representative said in an email.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio asked Congress to approve the $35 million in a letter sent on Monday, and the White House's Office of Management and Budget sent a formal request for the funds to Capitol Hill two weeks ago.