The Secret Service requested an extra $60 million in funding toward its FY 2018 budget, in order to compensate for the Trump family’s extensive travel, plus the costs associated with securing the Trumps’ three primary residences.
Every Trump trip to Mar-a-Lago costs taxpayers more than $3,000,000. And that’s not including the drag on the local government and small business owners. Trump is charging U.S. taxpayers millions while he jets back and forth to Palm Beach, openly running a pay-to-play scheme and selling access to anyone who can foot the $200,000 membership fee.
“Trump proposes gutting crucial economic development, education, and social programs, while vacationing and funneling money into his own pocket on taxpayers’ dime,” said American Bridge President Jessica Mackler. “Trump’s intentions to get rich off the presidency, and at the expense of the American people, have never been more obvious.”
Here are a few alternative uses for the extra $60 million:- $60 million would cover 10,135 annual Pell Grant scholarships — scholarships for 10,135 low-income students. Trump’s budget, meanwhile, takes $3.9 billion away from the Pell Grant program.
- $60 million could pay for a year of meals on wheels deliveries for 21,699 seniors. Trump’s Budget, eliminates all funding currently allocated in grants to senior services programs including Meals on Wheels.
- $60 million is half of the Appalachian Regional Commission‘s FY 2017 budget. The ARC — which Trump’s budget proposal eliminates entirely — promotes economic growth throughout Appalachia, and last year alone “created or saved at least 23,000 jobs and provided 25,500 households with infrastructure services such as water or broadband.”
- $60 million would help 138,248 students from low income families apply to college. It could restore is 30% of Trump’s proposed budget cuts to TRIO and GEAR UP, two programs that “help disadvantaged students in middle and high schools prepare for college.”
- $60 million is half of what Trump’s budget cuts from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, which is “dedicated to serving small and medium-sized manufacturers” and last year helped over 25,400 manufacturers “create and retain more than 86,602 jobs.”
- $60 million is 13% of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting‘s federal appropriation request — grants eliminated under Trump’s budget that fund PBS and NPR programming and stations across the country.
Published: Mar 23, 2017