The US Embassy in Jerusalem will cost $ 20 million more than Trump's estimate



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The State Department awarded a $ 21.2 million contract to Maryland-based Desbuild Limak to design and build "composite safety upgrades" for the Arnona building in Jerusalem, according to documents made public this month.

The United States spent just under $ 400,000 to change the consular facility that allowed the opening of the US Embbady in May, but the State Department told CNN that he planned to "build a new extension to the interim site"

A State Department spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the $ 21.2 million contract is dedicated to "The design and construction of this second phase."

"As the President stated, the cost of the first modifications made to allow the Embbady to open on May 14 was to About $ 400,000 .After the opening of May 14, we undertook the planning and construction of a new extension and security improvements on the interim site, told CNN.

The $ 21.2 million award to Desbuild Limak "is dedicated to the design and the construction of this second phase, "added the spokesman.

Trump often failed to mention this distinction – rather emphasizing his personal role in reducing the costs of the embbady.

A few days before the opening in May, Trump spent about 10 minutes of an hour speech in Indiana telling the story. he had saved nearly $ 999,800,000 on the Tel Aviv embbady transfer projects in Jerusalem, claiming that the United States would only spend "$ 200,000 to $ 300,000" against a $ 1 billion proposal of dollars.

speech, Trump also touted the opening schedule of the embbady, ​​joking that he had accepted the original proposal for a new complex he would need a " extension of the presidency "to see the project through.

I said, "When will it be open?" "Trump recalled." They said: "No matter where between five and ten years." So I said: "Unless they give me an extension for the presidency." "

  Trump claims to have saved nearly $ 999,800,000 on the US embbady in Jerusalem

March while he was sitting alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office.

"We will build it very quickly, a lot of people would not do it quickly, like that. "They placed an order in front of my office last week for $ 1 billion." I said, "A billion? We're going to build an embbady." I said, "We're not going to spend $ 1 billion." We do it for about $ 250,000, so check -Me. "

" Now it's temporary but it will be fine, "Trump added quickly, turning to a visibly giggling Netanyahu and saying" $ 250,000 versus a billion dollars … is this property? "

While the administration announced in February its intention to designate a United States embbady in Jerusalem as the US embbady, ​​this space will only be temporary.

Trump touted his decision to move the US embbady in Jerusalem as an election promise held, and the move was celebrated by conservative leaders in the United States and Israel. A delegation of senior US officials – including the Assistant Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury and the President's daughter-in-law – traveled to Jerusalem in May to inaugurate the embbady.

  Trump again signs a renunciation to the embbady Trump again signs a renunciation of the embbady despite his transfer to Jerusalem

But despite the official relocation of the embbady, ​​Trump was forced to sign a derogation to the Jerusalem Embbady Act. months later because the US ambbadador does not yet have an official residence in Jerusalem – a requirement under the 1995 law calling on the United States to move their embbady to the holy city.

Tuesday, the spokesman of the State Department said Nothing new to announce regarding the residence of the ambbadador.

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