{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-asks-feds-to-cover-cost-of-trump-protection", "Lance Asks Feds To Cover Cost of Trump Protection", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Leonard Lance", "L000567", "lance.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0 --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today wrote a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking the United States Department of Justice to make available grants and funding to cover the costs of security required to protect President Trump, his family and dignitaries who will visit Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster.\u00a0 Similar funding arrangements with the Department of Justice were made available when President Obama visited Chicago and Hawaii and such an arrangement would ease the financial burden of heightened security.\n\u201cNew Jersey once again will be a crossroads for American history, and the Trump Administration has indicated Trump National will continue to be a meeting place for foreign leaders, elected representatives and other officials.\u00a0 Local law enforcement has provided the Secret Service with assistance in protecting the President-elect and should its assistance be required any time President Trump visits in the future, it could be a considerable financial burden for Bedminster Township, Somerset County and the State of New Jersey,\u201d Lance said.\u00a0 \u201cIt is my understanding that law enforcement in Hawaii and the City of Chicago received grants from the Department of Justice to assist with the protection of President Obama and I am requesting that similar grants be made available to several jurisdictions in New Jersey.\u201d\nLance has also asked U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker to support grant requests that would cover New Jersey expenses.\nLetter text:\nDecember 22, 2016\n\u00a0\nThe Honorable Loretta Lynch\nAttorney General of the United States\nU.S. Department of Justice  \n\t950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW  \n\tWashington, DC 20530-0001\nDear Attorney General Lynch:\nAs the Representative for Bedminster, New Jersey, which is home to Trump National Golf Course, I am respectfully requesting your office\u2019s assistance in securing grants and funding opportunities available to state and local law enforcement for assisting the Secret Service with the protection of President Trump after he is inaugurated, including but not limited to the extra funds appropriated to Byrne JAG in the recent Continuing Resolution.\u00a0\nSince his election, President-elect Trump has spent a considerable amount of time at Trump National, as he intends to do after his inauguration.\u00a0 Local law enforcement has provided the Secret Service with assistance protecting the President-elect.\u00a0 Attached is a breakdown of the cost to Bedminster Township during the President-elect\u2019s recent visits to Trump National.\u00a0 Bedminster has also provided an estimate of future costs, beyond January 20, 2017.\u00a0 Should local assistance be required in the future, it could be a considerable financial burden for Bedminster Township, Somerset County and the State of New Jersey.\u00a0 It is my understanding that law enforcement in Hawaii and the City of Chicago received grants from the Department of Justice to assist with the protection of President Obama and I am requesting that similar grants be made available to several jurisdictions in New Jersey, including but not limited to the Bedminster Township Police Department, the Somerset County Sheriff\u2019s Department, the New Jersey State Police and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police.\nI respectfully respect that DOJ officials let our office know when funding opportunities become available.\u00a0 The contact person in my office is Michael Taggart at 202-225-5361 or michael.taggart@mail.house.gov.\u00a0\nThank you very much for your consideration of this request.\u00a0 Best personal wishes.\nSincerely,\nLeonard Lance\nMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://lance.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lance-asks-feds-to-cover-cost-of-trump-protection"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5206742100417614, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}