HHS Secretary Apologizes for Chartered Planes and Promises to Pay for (A Small Fraction Of) His ‘Seat’

Cost to Taxpayers: $400,000. Amount Price Will Reimburse: $51,887. That’s About 13% of the Total.

Over the past week the nation was shocked to learn that Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price spent $400,000 on at least 26 chartered private planes when he easily could have flow commercial, taken Amtrak, or even driven, at a fraction of the cost to taxpayers. Even President Trump acknowledged he was “not happy” by the news and when asked if Price would be fired, Trump said, “We’ll see.”

That was less than 24 hours ago.

And just now, Secretary Price has issued a carefully-worded statement apologizing for wasting the money, and promising to personally reimburse the taxpayers, according to Politico.

Except, he’s not. Not exactly.

A barrage of news outlets are all reporting that Secretary Price will personally reimburse the American people the $400,000 for the private chartered flights. 

That’s incorrect.

“I regret the concerns this has raised regarding the use of taxpayer dollars,” Price said in his statement.

“Today, I will write a personal check to the U.S. Treasury for the expenses of my travel on private charter planes,” he added. “The taxpayers won’t pay a dime for my seat on those planes.”

Note the careful wording: “for my seat.”

Here’s Price’s full statement:

According to Fox News White House producer fin Gomez, Price won’t be coughing up a check for the four hundred thousand dollars. Nope. Just $52k:

Taxpayers are still on the hook for about $348,000.

What Price should be required to do is reimburse the American people the difference between what he should have spent and what he chose to spend. He’s not doing that, not even close.

But don’t worry, Secretary Price, who both lied to Congress during his confirmation hearing and repeatedly traded stocks that benefited from legislation he was pushing, promises he won’t ever take a private chartered plane again.

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