9/24/2017
Government employees flying on private jets “is an example of fiscal irresponsibility run amok” according to Tom Price in an interview on CNBC 9/9/2009. But apparently, Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services forgot his own thinking as he charted himself private jets at least 24 times in recent months. The estimated cost to taxpayers is in excess of $400,000.
Federal law requires federal employees to travel on commercial flights unless no commercial flights are available. According to Mr. Price’s travel schedule, he has chartered private jets when commercial flights were available, including a trip to Georgia when he traveled to his private residence a day and a half before a scheduled meeting. Some flights were paired with visits to colleagues and family members.
In June, Price spoke at a physicians association conference in San Diego, where he vowed to wring out wasteful spending in the government’s health care programs. Getting ‘value’ for spending ‘is incredibly important,’ he said. Price took a private plane to get to the meeting, which was one stop on a five-state sprint of charter travel that cost $50,420. Ironically, the cabinet secretary who says we can’t afford to help Medicaid beneficiaries receive medical care is the same cabinet secretary who’s using taxpayer money to charter private jets for himself.
When his extensive use of private jets became widely known, Price stated he “has initiated an internal departmental review of the procedures and processes that we go through for official travel to determine whether there are any changes or reforms that are necessary.” Price isn’t the only official whose travels have raised questions. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin requested use of an Air Force jet for his honeymoon in Europe this summer. Additionally, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt flies home to Oklahoma at the government’s expense. When asked if he was going to fire Price, Trump responded “we’ll see.”
–UPDATE 9/28/2017-–
Secretary Price has agreed to repay part of the costs of the private jets. He has agreed to repay $52,000 (about 1/8th the total cost), which he apparently figures is what his one seat costs even though he chartered the entire jet. Critics decry that he should repay the expenses in full.
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