Peters and Ernst Request Information on Costly Taxpayer-Funded Administration Travel

U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management Subcommittee, and Joni Ernst (R-IA) sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney seeking clarity on Trump Administration officials’ compliance with federal travel spending policies. The letter follows recent media reports and official investigations of excessive travel expenditures using taxpayer funds among high-ranking officials at several federal agencies.

“It is our duty to provide oversight and ensure that taxpayer money is spent responsibly, without waste, fraud, or abuse,” wrote the Senators. “We owe it to the American people to ensure with the utmost vigilance that tax dollars are being spent appropriately.”

Inspectors General for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Treasury, Department of the Interior and Department of Veterans Affairs have opened investigations into travel expenses incurred by agency leaders.

Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) require that all federal agencies make travel arrangements in the most cost-effective manner, and that federal employees, including Cabinet appointees, travel by “common carrier,” such as a commercial airline, whenever possible.

The letter requests information from OMB on oversight practices and travel spending policies to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly and effectively when paying for official government travel.