Norton Seeks $15M for D.C. to Cover Inauguration Expenses

• By Emily Yehle
• Roll Call Staff
• Dec. 18, 2008, 3:26 p.m.

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) wants Congress to give the District an additional $15 million for the expense of hosting the inauguration.

So far, D.C. has received $15 million and is digging deep into its pockets to pay for the added security and planning necessary for an inauguration that could draw five times as many people as President George W. Bush’s second inauguration.

The city spent $18.3 million for the 2005 ceremony, according to a press release from Norton’s office. Only 300,000 people showed up that year; this time, the city expects more than 1 million people.

The appropriated $15 million is meant for all the national events held in the city throughout the year, Norton said. In comparison, Denver and St. Paul, Minn., each got $50 million to host the presidential conventions.

“The city’s costs will be immediate, and even an additional $15 million may not be sufficient to cover the District’s costs,” the press release states. “Norton is particularly concerned that, as it now stands, the city may exhaust the $15 million already in the current appropriation, and have no funds to pay for the many national events, marches, parades, and federal events that depend on D.C. personnel all year.”