NYC May Have To Pay Bulk Of $35 Million Trump Security Tab
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Despite pleas from local leaders, New York City may end up footing most of the security bill for protecting President-elect Donald Trump.
The NYPD and Mayor Bill de Blasio requested $35 million as reimbursement for the additional police manpower and overtime. But congressional Republicans unveiled a spending bill that would give the city just $7 million to help with the police overtime costs.
"This isn't about political considerations," NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said. "This is about doing the right thing."
Members of the congressional delegation who made the Washington trip with Miller fired off statements expressing their disappointment.
"I am extremely disappointed that the Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government does not fully reimburse the people of New York for the unprecedented security costs incurred to keep the President-elect and his family safe between the election and his inauguration," Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) said in a statement released late Tuesday.
"We'll have to go back and get the rest of it," Maloney told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond. "Because it's not fair to ask the city taxpayers to pay for this."
As CBS2's Dick Brennan reported, Mayor de Blasio himself also said the fight for reimbursement is not over. But this may be a case of too little, too late.
The mayor said it costs the city $500,000 a day for security costs surrounding the president-elect, and the $7 million that Congress will vote on is a drop in the bucket.
But Long Island U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) who also says the city deserves the $35 million reimbursement, told CBS2 the city's request was a bit last-minute.
"we should have gotten the $35 million now," King said. "Having said that, the mayor didn't submit the request the official request until yesterday, and the bill had to be filed by yesterday, so there was sort of late notice."
King said the bill was filed on Tuesday night and cannot be amended now before its voted upon on Thursday.
But both King and the mayor said the fight is far from over
"We fully intend to get reimbursed, and we have been reimbursed in previous situation," Mayor de Blasio said on "The Brian Lehrer Show" on WNYC radio.
The mayor said the city did get fully reimbursed for security for events such as like Pope Francis's visit to New York City in September of last year.
In a statement, de Blasio added: "We are counting on congress to step up in the coming months to pay back what it owes our city. This is a national responsibility and the burden cannot fall alone on our city and police department."
NYC taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook for 80% of the national bill to protect Trump Tower. DC must step up to pay us back what we're owed.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) December 7, 2016
Earlier this week de Blasio sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting the $35 million, a tab that comes out to about $500,000 a day.
The mayor earlier this week seemed hopeful.
"I remain optimistic," he said. "I have every reason to believe they will be sympathetic and do all they can do."
De Blasio said that as a fellow New Yorker, Trump may stand in support of the city.
"I think I have established I have many, many differences with Donald Trump," de Blasio told WCBS 880's Rich Lamb. "But on this matter, I believe he does love New York City, I believe he he has tremendous respect for the NYPD -- he sees every day, as does his team, the extraordinary extent we're going to to protect him, his family, his team, and the building."
But now it remains to be seen how the costs will be covered. Though both de Blasio and police officials say regardless of where the funding comes from, the protection of the president-elect will not be compromised.
"Trump's security trumps politics," Miller said.
CBS2 wanted to know what the federal government did eight years ago in Chicago, when Barack Obama was president-elect and still living in his house in the Hyde Park-Kenwood section of the city. It turned out it was very different circumstances.
"As far as transition costs, they did approve about I think $2 1/2 million or $3 million two for President Obama in Chicago," King said. "But where his home was located had nowhere near the type of security concerns that Donald Trump has."
In response to the timing of the $35 million request, Mayor de Blasio's staffers said since Election Day, they have been in regular communication with the White House, the House Appropriations Committee, and the New York congressional delegation about receiving full reimbursement -- including for all costs through and beyond the inauguration.
Meanwhile, President-elect Trump was busy at Trump Tower on Wednesday.
CBS News has learned that Scott Pruitt will be named the head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Pruitt is known for his strong opposition to President Obama's environmental regulations and could oversee the rollback of the administration's climate protection measures, CBS News reported. As Oklahoma's attorney general, Pruitt has sued the Obama administration over the climate rules for power plants.
CBS News has also learned that retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly will be the nominee for the Department of Homeland Security. Long-serving Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will be named the next ambassador to China.
In the meantime, Trump was named Time Magazine's man of the year.
Trump said it was a great honor - but he didn't like the sub-headline that said he is the president of the divided states of America.
"I think putting 'divided' is snarky," Trump said.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel visited with Trump on Wednesday. He urged Trump to continue a federal program that allows some undocumented immigrants to avoid deportation.
Trump also said Wednesday that Mitt Romney still in the running for secretary of state.
He also named Linda McMahon of Connecticut, co-founder of the pro-wrestling company WWE, to lead the Small Business Administration.