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 - Norton Releases Letter on Deficit in D.C. Security Fund

Letter

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

We request that you provide at least an additional $6 million for the federally funded District of Columbia Emergency Planning and Security Fund (EPSF) in either the first fiscal year (FY) 2020 continuing resolution or the final FY 2020 D.C. Appropriations bill, whichever comes first. The EPSF is expected to have at least a $6 million deficit by the end of FY 2019.

As you know, the EPSF pays for the unique security costs the District incurs as the nation's capital. The costs include support for the U.S. Secret Service and protests.

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. Even before accounting for the substantial, and still unknown, costs related to President Trump's July 4th speech, the EPSF was expected to run out of funds before the end of FY 2019. In addition to the Fourth of July costs, the EPSF's shortfall is due to the federal government's failure to reimburse the EPSF for the extra $7.3 million used to support the 2017 presidential inauguration, lower recent appropriations, the costs incurred for President George H.W. Bush's funeral, and a heightened number of national protests in the capital.

Over the long term, EPSF needs to have sufficient carryover funds so that the District is not put in the unacceptable position of being forced to choose between not providing support for federally related activities, or having to divert its own local funds from local public safety activities to support activities that should be covered by the EPSF.

We appreciate your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Source