Letter to the Hon. Nita Lowey, Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, the Hon. Kay Granger, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, the Hon. Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Hon. Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Hon. Mike Quigley, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, the Hon. Tom Graves, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, the Hon. John Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, and the Hon. Christopher Coons, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government - Van Hollen, Norton Urge Appropriations Committees to Provide Supplemental Funding for D.C's Emergency Planning and Security Fund

Letter

Dear Chairs Lowey, Shelby, Quigley and Kennedy and Ranking Members Granger, Leahy, Graves and Coons:

As negotiations continue on a second fiscal year (FY) 2019 supplemental appropriations bill, we urge you to provide $6 million in supplemental FY 2019 funds for the federally funded District of Columbia Emergency Planning and Security Fund (EPSF). If the District does not receive supplemental appropriations for the EPSF, it would be put in the untenable position of not providing support for certain federal events or having to divert its local funds from local public safety activities to support activities that are to be covered by the EPSF.

The EPSF pays for the unique public safety and security costs the District incurs as the nation's capital. The costs cover providing public safety at events related to the presence of the nation's capital in the District, providing response support to immediate and specific terrorist threats or attacks in the District and providing support for requests from the United States Secret Service. The committee report accompanying the House's FY 19 FSGG appropriations bill stated, "As the seat of the national government, the District of Columbia has a unique and significant responsibility for protecting the property and personnel of the Federal Government. The Federal Payment for Emergency Planning and Security Costs is provided to help address the impact of the Federal presence on public safety in the District of Columbia."

Congress provided $12 million for the EPSF in FY 2019, and the EPSF had $2 million in carryover funds at the start of FY 2019. Based on its current spend rate, however, the District is expected to run out of EPSF funds by this July. It is important to note that the spend rate does not factor in the substantial unanticipated costs for President Trump's July 4th speech and activities at the Lincoln Memorial. Since the July 4th program has not yet been set, those costs are still unknown.

The shortfall in the EPSF is the result of three factors: increased event costs, smaller appropriations over the last few years and failure to reimburse the District for $7.3 million in local funds it spent to support President Trump's 2017 inauguration. Historically, the District had been fully reimbursed for inauguration and other federal event costs.

We appreciate your addressing this matter of critical importance to the federal government and the finances of the District. It is important that EPSF have sufficient funds so that the District is not forced to use its local funds to support the federal government.

Sincerely,

Source