Democrats decry use of park fees for Trump's July 4 event as 'slush fund'

Democratic lawmakers and environmental activists are sharply criticizing plans by the Trump administration to reportedly use $2.5 million in National Park Service (NPS) maintenance funds to help cover the cost of President Trump’s “Salute to America” event on Independence Day. The Washington Post on Tuesday cited two individuals who said NPS recreation fees had been diverted that day, and critics are saying the move may be an illegal use of funds that are generated through national park entrance fees. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees Interior Department spending, said using the fees without congressional consent was akin to establishing a “slush fund.” Recreation fees are collected by national parks through admission fees. The funds typically go toward park maintenance as well as seasonal hiring, such as for additional fire fighters. The NPS system is facing a nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog and the Trump administration has routinely suggested cutting the agency’s budget. Some Democrats have raised concerns that the park fees are being used to bolster the spectacle surrounding Trump’s Thursday evening speech from the Lincoln Memorial, which they fear will serve as a campaign-style rally, with VIP seating for top campaign donors, and politicize a national holiday that has otherwise been apolitical...MORE