WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday that he is ‘‘not happy’’ about revelations that Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price took numerous flights on government-funded private jets for work and personal trips.
Responding to questions from reporters, Trump said he is ‘‘looking into’’ the situation and ‘‘personally, I’m not happy about it, and I let him know it.’’
Price has been under fire for using public funds to pay for private flights more than two dozen times, according to Politico, mixing in some personal travel with business trips.
The president appeared to suggest that he would considering firing Price, saying, ‘‘I’m going to look at it’’ after a reporter asked about Price’s future, though, it was not completely clear whether Trump was answering that direct question.
Later, asked again about whether he would fire Price, Trump said, ‘‘We’ll see.’’
Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, said in an interview Wednesday that while he had not yet had a chance to talk to Price, his practice of taking so many charter planes reflected ‘‘poor judgment.’’
‘‘This is way too many private flights,’’ said Cole, who is friendly with Price, a former congressman, from their time serving together. Cole noted that while he has ‘‘enormous respect for the professional job he’s doing,’’ he was disturbed by the secretary’s use of taxpayer dollars.
‘‘It’s one thing if you’re paying for them yourself,’’ Cole said. ‘‘It’s quite another if you’re turning over the cost of that to the American taxpayer.’’ Cole, who oversees HHS’ budget, added that at a time when the administration is seeking ‘‘steep cuts in the budget at HHS,’’ it need to shepherd its resources carefully.
‘‘That puts an extra responsibility on you, that the dollars you have are stretched to the maximum,’’ he said, noting that his panel had approved less severe cuts in HHS’ budget than the administration had sought.
Democrats have also called Price’s use of private jets — some with plush leather chairs, kitchens, and other amenities — hypocritical. Price has sought deep budget cuts at the National Institutes of Health and other measures he calls cost savings. He is opposed to the Affordable Care Act, calling it too expensive and inefficient.
In a letter Tuesday, House investigators asked Price and more than 20 other agency heads to list all use of private, charter aircraft and use of government-owned aircraft by political employees since Trump’s inauguration.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Representative Trey Gowdy, Republican of South Carolina, and top Democrat Representative Elijah Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, requested passenger manifests, dates of use, destinations, costs, and other information for each trip. The information is due Oct. 10.
The letter reminded Price and other recipients that official travel for all federal employees must be ‘‘by the most expeditious means of transportation practicable,’’ and be in line with an employee’s function. Travel ‘‘by no means should include personal use.’’
The Health and Human Services inspector general is also investigating Price’s taxpayer-funded travel involving at least two dozen flights, a spokeswoman said Friday.
Investigators will seek records of Price’s travel and review the justifications that he and his staff gave for the trips.
