Donald Trump's administration is asking Congress for millions of dollars in public funds to cover costs stemming from the president's Freedom 250 events on the National Mall this summer, including a Christian-focused prayer event, a fireworks show that started late and a sparsely attended state fair. Last week, the administration asked for an unspecified amount of funding "to recoup costs associated with support of events celebrating America's Semiquincentennial," according to Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the National Mall. That request prompted Merkley to ask what, exactly, the administration needed the money for.