Click here to use the new Joint Economic Committee – Minority interactive calculator

President Trump has used taxpayer dollars to fund wasteful projects that benefit himself instead of the American people. The Joint Economic Committee – Minority estimates that these projects are so far expected to cost more than $1.8 billion. This total includes, for instance, the $927 million spent to renovate the White House – including to construct a new golden ballroom – and the $16 million spent so far on his no-bid contract to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Using this total, the Committee lays out below how that money could instead be used by families and/or the federal government for other purposes such as child care, medical care for veterans, rent, or groceries. In addition, click here to access the Joint Economic Committee – Minority’s Interactive Cost Calculator, where users can explore how they could instead allocate the $1.8 billion in funds currently planned for President Trump’s vanity projects.  

Note: The total expected cost of Trump’s vanity projects includes the more than $927 million for White House renovations (including the ballroom, Lafayette Park fountains, Rose Garden, visitor center, helipad, and bowling alley), $257 million for the Kennedy Center renovations, $100 million to build the new “Triumphal Arch,” $16 million for rehabilitation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, $7.5 million to repaint the Old Executive Office Building, $5 million to gold-plate D.C. area horse statues, $400 million to complete the initial retrofit of the new Qatari Air Force One plane, $60 million for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) White House event, and $50 million for his East Potomac Park Golf Course.

Click here to read the Committee’s full report and click here to explore the Interactive Cost Calculator.