{"id":32750,"date":"2018-05-09T20:42:05","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T20:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/09\/house-panel-rejects-greater-transparency-for-trump-cabinets-military-flights\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:55:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:55:56","slug":"house-panel-rejects-greater-transparency-for-trump-cabinets-military-flights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/congress\/2018\/05\/09\/house-panel-rejects-greater-transparency-for-trump-cabinets-military-flights\/","title":{"rendered":"House panel rejects greater transparency for Trump Cabinet\u2019s military flights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 A House panel on Wednesday narrowly voted down opening the books when it comes to senior Trump administration officials and their spouses\u2019 use of military flights<\/a> to get around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House Armed Services Committee rejected 30-31 an amendment to its far-reaching annual defense policy bill<\/a> that would have mandated the Pentagon report every 90 days on its costs when senior executive branch officials travel by military aircraft \u2014 and whether their spouses\u2019 travel costs were reimbursed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amendment was offered by Arizona Democratic Rep. Tom O\u2019Halleran, who questioned whether taxpayers are subsidizing the excessively lavish travel habits of Trump administration officials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI and many other Americans have been outraged at report after report surfacing that senior administration officials are abusing ethics rules and improperly using military aircraft for travel,\u201d O\u2019Halleran said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republicans hold a 34-28 majority on the panel, but two sided with Democrats during the vote: Reps. Stephen Knight, of California, and Don Bacon<\/a>, of Nebraska. Both are military veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defense Department must already report such costs to the General Services Administration biannually, but the amendment would have mandated those reports be prepared quarterly and sent to Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allegations of excessive travel have entangled Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt. Former Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price separately resigned amid criticism about their questionable travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t understand how we time and time again talk about saving dollars and make sure we have a transparent government, and to have this process not be put in place,\u201d O\u2019Halleran said. \u201cThis is about people who shouldn\u2019t be using military aircraft and saving taxpayer dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HASC\u2019s annual defense authorization bill debate Wednesday was expected to pay host to other fights on hot-button issues centering around President Donald Trump. Among them, his orders to deploy<\/a> National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, to exclude transgender troops<\/a> among them and to mount a military parade<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t