Rep. Deutch Applauds Funding to Reimburse Palm Beach County for Overtime Security Costs

Press Release

Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), representing a district that includes portions of Palm Beach County, issued this statement upon the announcement that the bipartisan omnibus spending bill includes funding to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for overtime costs in protecting President Trump:

"This is a huge victory for Palm Beach County taxpayers, who should never have been on the hook for President Trump's weekend getaways," said Rep. Deutch. "These staggering costs are too heavy for Palm Beach County to shoulder alone. I have long been calling for Congress to cover these costs, and I am pleased that local law enforcement will be compensated for protecting the President during his trips to Mar-a-Lago.

"But if the President is going to continue to use Mar-a-Lago or any of his other resorts as weekend vacation spots throughout the year, then President Trump should pay the costs himself. The American taxpayers shouldn't have to pay tens of millions of dollars for Trump to golf on the weekends at his branded properties. The President still needs to address the remaining issues that come from using his private golf club as a weekend White House, including the obvious conflicts of interest and serious national security concerns."

The spending package includes an additional $20 million for reimbursement of pre-inauguration costs (making the total $27 million) through the Byne-JAG program under the Department of Justice, and $41 million for reimbursement of post-inauguration costs.

In March, Congressman Deutch sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee requesting funding to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for overtime costs. He also wrote directly to President Trump requesting assistance in alleviating the financial burden on the county and local cities.

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