Democratic leaders request investigation into Price’s travel

Congressional Democrats in a Wednesday letter called for an investigation into Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price’s travel, following a report that said Price took private jets on five flights for government business last week.

Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (N.J.) and Richard Neal (Mass.), along with Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.), Patty Murray (Wash.) and Gary Peters (Mich.), signed the letter, which asks a series of questions about Price’s travel.

Pallone announced earlier in the day that he would call for the investigation.

{mosads}“American taxpayers deserve assurances 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,” the letter reads.

The letter asks that the inspector general determine why Price did not fly commercially for five different business flights last week. The letter also asks for details about the chartered flights, including who booked the travel and the identities of other passengers. 

“I would remind Secretary Price that taxpayer funds are not meant to be used as a jet-setting slush fund,” Pallone said in the statement released early 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,” he added, referencing one of the trips detailed in the Politico report.