Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price flew in private jets on five separate occasions to carry out official business last week, costing tens of thousands of dollars more than a commercial travel bill and breaking away from the status quo of previous secretaries.
Price participated in travel from Sept. 13 to Sept. 15. Internal HHS documents reveal he visited a resort in Maine to join a question-and-answer session with a healthcare industry CEO and New Hampshire and Pennsylvania to visit community health centers, Politico reported.
The three sites where Price made appearances confirmed they did not pay for Price’s flights. HHS declined to comment on how the flights were paid for, but said Price occasionally charters flights when commercial ones are not available.
“As part of the HHS mission to enhance and protect the health and well-being of the American people, Secretary Price travels on occasion outside Washington to meet face to face with the American people to hear their thoughts and concerns firsthand,” an HHS spokesperson said. “When commercial aircraft cannot reasonably accommodate travel requirements, charter aircraft can be used for official travel.”
This means of travel deviates from the practice followed by Obama administration officials from HHS. For example, former HHS Secretaries Sylvia Matthews Burwell and Kathleen Sebelius flew commercially while traveling within the mainland of the U.S.
Price isn’t the only Trump Cabinet member to raise eyebrows for transportation choices. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin came under fire last week when it was revealed he requested a military aircraft for his European honeymoon – the second such travel controversy he’s faced in the past several weeks.
