Replica White House is sought
Stung by accusations that it cannot adequately protect the White House, the Secret Service wants to spend $8 million to build another White House in Beltsville, Md.
In prepared testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, Joseph Clancy, the director of the Secret Service, on Tuesday will urge lawmakers to give him money to build a detailed replica of the White House to aid in training officers and agents to protect the real thing. Beltsville, about 20 miles from the real White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Av., is the site of a 500-acre Secret Service training site in the verdant terrain of Southern Maryland.
The proposed replica would provide what Clancy describes as a "more realistic environment, conducive to scenario-based training exercises," for instructing those who must protect the president's home. It would mimic the facade of the White House residence, the East and West Wings, guard booths, and the surrounding grounds and roads.
new york times
