Secret Service wants to build $8M fake White House

In response to a series of major security lapses, the Secret Service wants lawmakers to provide $8 million to build a model White House. 

The embattled agency is requesting the funds to build a scale replica of the White House in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Beltsville, Md., to better train agents to protect the presidential mansion, according to The New York Times. 

{mosads}Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy will make the pitch to members of Congress during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday. 

“The Secret Service currently uses a rudimentary, not-to-scale simulation of the north grounds of the White House, using bike barricades to act as the fencing,” Clancy will say during prepared remarks, which were obtained by the Times. “There are no structures, vehicle gates, lighting or other aids to enhance the training simulations.”

The request comes at a time when the Secret Service is facing congressional scrutiny over a series of scandals that have raised questions about the agency’s culture and its ability to protect the White House grounds. 

The Obama administration is investigating an alleged drunken driving incident involving two officers. In September, a man jumped the White House fence and entered the building through the front door.