A pair of Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are calling for hearings to examine the travel habits of top Trump administration officials in the wake of reports numerous Cabinet secretaries have been taking flights aboard private and military aircraft.
Reps. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., sent a letter to Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., the committee chairman, on Tuesday and said a hearing was needed to examine whether the Trump administration has implemented “adequate controls” to protect taxpayer dollars regarding administration officials’ travel.
“As representatives of the American taxpayers, we are responsible for ensuring that their hard-earned money is not wasted,” Cummings, the committee’s ranking member, and Krishnamoorthi, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and Administrative Rules, wrote. “The extensive use of noncommercial aircraft by multiple members of the Trump administration is disrespectful to the American taxpayers who foot the bill for these expenses.”
Since President Trump assumed the presidency, multiple members of his Cabinet have been scrutinized for their use of private and military planes.
Two Cabinet officials — former Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and former Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin — were ousted in part due to controversy over their travel.
Other members of Trump’s Cabinet that were found to have charted private or military planes at taxpayer expense include Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt.
Pruitt is also under fire for taking several first-class flights.
Gowdy and Cummings opened an investigation into the travel habits of Trump administration officials in September and requested documents from 25 agencies. The committee, however, hasn’t received all of the records it asked for.
“Many agencies—including the White House—have refused to provide the information our committee has requested to conduct our investigation, and without subpoenas, we cannot effectively investigate this matter,” the two Democrats wrote.
Cummings has asked Gowdy to subpoena the White House for the requested documents, but the chairman hasn’t done so.
