Tom Price blasted government use of private jets, now regularly uses them for domestic travel. In fact since May he has spent around 300K for private charters, and apparently doesn't like commerical airlines.
"Washington (CNN)Democrats say they are planning to look into a report about Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price taking five work-related trips on private jets last week, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars more than had he flown commercial.
Price -- who has vowed to cut wasteful spending in his agency -- traveled to a resort in Maine where he was part of a discussion with a health care industry CEO, as well as community health centers in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.
The flights were first reported by Politico. Charmaine Yoest, the assistant secretary for public affairs, confirmed to CNN that the money for the trips came out of the HHS's budget.
Price has traveled on taxpayer-funded charter flights at least 24 times since May, Politico also reported Thursday, citing people familiar with his travel plans and a review of HHS documents.
"I would remind Secretary Price that taxpayer funds are not meant to be used as a jet-setting slush fund," Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., the top Democrat on the House energy and commerce panel, said in a statement Wednesday. "There is no reason to be regularly chartering private flights at the taxpayers' expense between commercially serviced routes such Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia."
Hill Dems vow to probe Price's private flights - CNNPolitics
"Washington (CNN)Democrats say they are planning to look into a report about Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price taking five work-related trips on private jets last week, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars more than had he flown commercial.
Price -- who has vowed to cut wasteful spending in his agency -- traveled to a resort in Maine where he was part of a discussion with a health care industry CEO, as well as community health centers in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.
The flights were first reported by Politico. Charmaine Yoest, the assistant secretary for public affairs, confirmed to CNN that the money for the trips came out of the HHS's budget.
Price has traveled on taxpayer-funded charter flights at least 24 times since May, Politico also reported Thursday, citing people familiar with his travel plans and a review of HHS documents.
"I would remind Secretary Price that taxpayer funds are not meant to be used as a jet-setting slush fund," Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., the top Democrat on the House energy and commerce panel, said in a statement Wednesday. "There is no reason to be regularly chartering private flights at the taxpayers' expense between commercially serviced routes such Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia."
Hill Dems vow to probe Price's private flights - CNNPolitics
