Norton Will Seek the Usual Upfront Payment for D.C. if Trump’s Military Parade Proceeds

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that if President Trump intends to proceed with a military parade in the District of Columbia after he delayed it for at least this year, she would seek a specific appropriation to offset the cost to the District, as she usually does. Each year, Norton secures a federal payment to the District to cover emergency planning and security costs of large-scale events and demonstrations, among them, the presidential inauguration. Norton secured $13 million for D.C. in fiscal year 2018. She gets the federal payment at the beginning of the fiscal year so D.C. does not have to put up its own local funds first and then wait for a reimbursement after the fact.

"President's Trump's unnecessary effort to use our troops to boost his ego would be a monumental waste of taxpayer dollars and shut down the nation's capital," Norton said. "Along with D.C. officials, and I would dare say the majority of the American people, I am pleased that the President has backed down for the time being on hosting such a parade. Instead of attacking D.C. officials, he should have cited the cost, as estimated by the Pentagon. D.C. followed the usual process of estimating the cost to it of hosting such event in advance. The President did not face the cost of the Republican tax cuts, which have yet to show up for the majority of the American people. but he could not avoid the cost of the military parade, as cited by the Pentagon. I do not believe the President will proceed with the parade, but if he does, for sure I will seek an advance federal payment to the District, as I do every year, to ensure our local jurisdiction is not left holding the bag for a purely federal event."