Washington, DC
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, joined several senior congressional Democrats this week in calling on federal oversight officials to investigate allegations that Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price used taxpayer dollars for private jets and travel.
Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, joined colleagues from other House and Senate panels in penning a letter to the HHS Office of Inspector General Wednesday requesting a review into whether Price adhered to federal regulations and policies regarding travel.
Republicans won Senate confirmation of President Donald Trump’s choice for health secretary early Friday in the testy chamber’s fourth consecutive brawl over Cabinet picks.
The request for an investigation came in response to a recent Politico report suggesting that the HHS secretary recently used privately chartered flights to travel on agency-related business, which is estimated to have cost at least $60,000 — tens of thousands of dollars more than commercial travel, lawmakers noted in their letter.
Pointing to travel regulations, which they said state taxpayers “should pay no more than necessary” for transportation and that officials may travel on government aircraft, including chartered aircraft, only when it’s the most cost-effective option, the Democrats contended it’s unclear why Price would require such costly travel when less expensive options were reportedly available.
If Politico’s findings are confirmed, they argued, it would “represent yet another troubling example of this administration’s continued willingness to skirt basic ethics rules.”
Taking aim at what he called the Trump administration’s refusal to disclose ethics rules waivers, U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston, announced legislation Tuesday that would require such exemptions to be reported and publicly available online.
The lawmakers further questioned how Price’s stated commitment to reducing waste of taxpayer dollars aligns with his reported travel practices.
“American taxpayers deserve assurance that their tax dollars are not wasted by the government’s highest officials, and we are committed to holding Secretary Price to his stated pledges to reduce waste throughout the department,” they wrote. “Therefore, we appreciate your prompt and thorough review of these issues.”
The Democrats called on HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson to look into how often Price has utilized government aircraft or privately chartered flights, the associated costs and purposes of those trips, and whether he received proper authorizations and approvals, among other things.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., D-New Jersey; Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray, D-Washington; Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Oregon; and Senate Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management Ranking Member Gary Peters, D-Michigan, joined Neal in signing the letter.
