Mayor: President's July 4 celebration and protests bankrupted the District's security fund
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - D.C.'s mayor says President Donald Trump's special Salute to America - along with the protests and demonstrations surrounding it - has bankrupted the District's security fund, which is used to provide security at rallies and state funerals.
The celebration combined with the demonstrations surrounding it totaled $1.7 million, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser's office.
In a letter to the President, Bowser says that the Emergency Planning and Security Fund is gone, and is estimated to be running a $6 million deficit by Sept. 30.
She also noted that the account was never replenished for the $7.3 million in expenses from Trump's inauguration.
The mayor added that the financial difficulty is compounded by Congress' failure to match the EPSF's expenditures - which she approximates approach $16.5 million - with a comparable budget.
Congress currently appropriates $13 million for the EPSF.
The White House released the following statement Wednesday:
"President Trump led our Nation in a great Salute to America and recognized the brave sacrifice our service men and women have made throughout history. We have received the letter and will respond in a timely manner."