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Trump's July 4th extravaganza drained Washington, DC's fund to guard the capital from terror attacks

Jul 10, 2019, 23:57 IST

Supporters of US President Donald Trump gather on the National Mall ahead of the &quotSalute to America" Fourth of July event with US President Donald Trump at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, July 4, 2019.AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds via Getty Images

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  • DC Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote to President Donald Trump, telling him that the District's Emergency Planning and Security Fund was emptied after his "Salute to America" July 4th event.
  • The fund allows the nation's capital to deal with circumstances unique to its status, like providing security for federal events, and responding to terrorist threats.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, stating that the District's Emergency Planning and Security Fund (EPSF) would be depleted before the end of the fiscal year, following Trump's July 4 "Salute to America" festivities, The Washington Post reported.

The EPSF is funded by Congress and the White House, and supports the District's particular security needs, including security and responding to terror threats for events like the July 4 celebration.

In recent years, the federal government has decreased the amount of money allocated to the District for these purposes; $14.9 million was allocated in fiscal year 2017, and only $13 million for the current fiscal year. The fund ensures that the District has sufficient resources to provide increased security for federal events, such as Trump's July 4 spectacle, and the funeral of President George H.W. Bush earlier this year.

The White House has yet to reimburse the District more than $7 million of the $27.3 million it spent on increased security for Trump's 2017 inauguration., The Washington Post reported.

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The District's non-voting member of Congress, Democratic Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen voiced similar concerns ahead of the festivities, requesting an additional $6 million from the federal government to ensure that the District's security coffer didn't run out before the end of the fiscal year.

Bowser's letter asked the federal government to commit to reimbursing the fund, writing, "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."

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