Mayor Bill de Blasio and city representatives in Congress are disappointed in what was considered as a measly $7 million from House Republicans to support police department security for Donald Trump and his family in Trump Tower.
De Blasio on Monday requested $35 million in federal funding to cover the costs of the NYPD’s involvement in securing the building and the surrounding area between Nov. 8 and Jan. 20—Election Day and Inauguration Day. Trump is using the midtown high-rise as the headquarters for his transition team.
That equates to just north of $450,000 being spent on security each day. The offering would cover just one-fifth of the costs.
“We have such an exceptional situation here that the Congress should have stepped up and acknowledged it from the beginning,” the mayor said during his weekly appearance on WYNC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” Wednesday, adding that the city wouldn’t give up, “ until we get the reimbursement we deserve.”
New York’s democratic representatives in the House were equally outraged.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) said in a statement that she is “extremely disappointed.” She added: “We will continue to push for the full $35 million requested by New York City.”
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-Rye), the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, who said she also was disappointed, said: “New York taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for the federal responsibility of protecting the president-elect, and I will work to ensure a future funding bill makes New York City whole.”
In the letter asking for financial support, signed by de Blasio as well as Melissa Mark-Viverito, the speaker of the City Council, the pair said security the high-density area is “profoundly challenging for the NYPD.”
