More funds sought to guard Trump's large family
WASHINGTON: The US Secret Service said on Monday it is facing a crunch in meeting overtime payments for agents, as it struggles with the cost of protecting US President Donald Trump, his many homes and large family.
Mr Randolph Alles, the service's chief, said 1,100 agents will exceed caps for the fiscal year on salary and overtime pay due to the crushing workload.
With 150 foreign heads of state due to converge on New York next month for the United Nations General Assembly, demands on the service are intensifying further.
"This issue is not one that can be attributed to the current administration's protection requirements alone, but rather has been an ongoing issue for nearly a decade due to an overall increase in operational tempo," Mr Alles said in a statement.
Mr Trump has travelled nearly every weekend to his properties in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia. The Secret Service also provides protection for his adult children on their business trips and vacations.
In all, 42 people in the Trump administration have Secret Service protection.
Mr Alles, who is seeking more funding from Congress, told USA Today that he is in negotiations with key lawmakers to raise caps on pay and overtime from US$160,000 (S$218,000) a year to US$187,000 for at least the remainder of Mr Trump's term. - AFP
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