SCHUMER CHALLENGES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE FEDS -- NOT NYC -- PAY FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY COSTS AT ‘TRUMP TOWER’; DEMANDS ADMIN. PUT ALLOCATION FOR NY IN NEW BUDGET SO NYC TAXPAYERS AREN’T LEFT HOLDING THE BAG
Protecting Presidents Is Critical & Necessary Job Of The Federal Government; NYC Has Answered The Call To Fulfill This Duty—Averaging $100K A Day At Present—But Was Left Holding The Bag During Transition
Securing Reimbursement Funds Requires Federal Approval Schumer Says Trump Admin Should Directly Add To Its Own Soon-To-Be-Released Budget
Schumer To Trump Admin: This Is Federal Protection, Put Full Reimbursement In The Budget & Commit To Reimburse New York
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today publicly challenged President Trump to allocate federal funds in the upcoming and soon-to-be-announced White House budget for presidential protection at Trump Tower in New York City. According to the city, costs to protect the President totaled tens of millions from election day to inauguration day and average about $100,000 a day now—and can peak much higher.
"It's simply unfair to have New York City taxpayers alone bear the burden of NYPD protection at Trump Tower. President Trump: this is your protection, so I challenge you to put these costs in your upcoming federal budget and make a commitment to reimburse New York City,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.
Schumer said that New York City, already a top terror target in the country, cannot bear the burden alone for Trump Tower security. Schumer made the case that these costs, which could amount to tens-of-millions of dollars a year, would be an extra drain on already limited human and fiscal resources. Schumer today called out President Trump and said that because his protection is a national security concern, his administration should commit to reimbursing New York City by adding extra NYPD security costs in the upcoming federal budget.
Throughout history, presidents and their families have been granted extra protection when traveling outside the White House. However, Schumer noted that President Trump's consistent travel would bear an even greater burden on taxpayers. According to Judicial Watch, President Obama's travel-related expenses totaled approximately $97 million over eight years. According to a recent Washington Post article, President Trump's travel-related expenses could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars more. Schumer went on to say that because Trump Tower, made up of 57 stories, is in the heart of midtown Manhattan, securing the President and his family may be even more challenging than ever before.
According to NYD Deputy Commissioner of Management and Budget Vincent Grippo, the extra security costs to guard Trump Tower do not come from the existing overtime budget. Schumer said that the added security creates a rippling effect throughout the city because when a NYPD officer is guarding Trump Tower, another officer will have to fill in that officer's shift elsewhere. The NYPD guards the exterior while Secret Service secures the interior. Guarding the exterior also involves traffic control.
Initially, New York City requested $35 million in reimbursement and Congress only provided $7 million—which left city taxpayers bearing the rest of the costs. Schumer is urging President Trump to actually budget for New York City and NYPD's personnel costs in Trump's upcoming White House budget.
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