Congressional Democrats claiming that President Trump “illegally” diverted $2.4 million for the acclaimed July Fourth “Salute to America” have helped to set aside three times as much for holiday concerts on Capitol grounds, according to budget documents.
Fed up with continued Democratic attacks on the July Fourth event that focused on the military and patriotism and deemed nonpolitical by CBS, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt pushed back, telling a House chairman that the Trump costs were legal and far less than Congress blows on entertainment.
He noted in a letter to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Raul Grijalva that the $2.45 million spent on Trump’s participation was modest compared to the $7.5 million Congress spends for concerts on Memorial Day, July Fourth, and Labor Day.
In fact, the budget figures show, Congress spent 58% more on its July Fourth concert than Interior did on Trump’s “Salute.”
Overall, July Fourth associated costs were about $9 million, split between Interior, Congress, and the military. The controversy has been over the $2.4 million spent for the Trump part.
In his letter, Grijalva suggested Interior broke the law when it tapped the “Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act” funds for Trump’s participation. He said Interior was “illegally diverting” the money.
“FLREA fees are intended to fund projects that enhance the visitor experience on our public lands,” he wrote before the July Fourth event. “They are not a slush fund to fulfill the administration’s whims and immediate desires.”
In his response, Bernhardt said that is exactly why that fund was tapped, because it enhanced the public’s participation at the event, where far more space was given to the audience than in the past.
And, he added, “it is worth pointing out that the amount of FLREA funds expended for this year’s Fourth of July celebration are significantly less than the amounts that Congress appropriated for the concerts at the U.S. Capitol.”
He also noted that the same fund was tapped for July Fourth-related and other events during the Obama administration, including $3.4 million to celebrate the National Park Service in 2016, Obama’s last full year in office.
He concluded, “The Independence Day celebration on the National Mall was enjoyed by visitors to the National Mall, and millions of viewers at home. I trust that, like me, you celebrated our Nation’s 243rd Independence Day and joined me in saluting our fighting men and women in uniform. And, as President Trump announced on Monday, we look forward to supporting the 244th Independence Day celebration, including the ‘Salute to America,’ in 2020.”
