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As Trump's Health Secretary, Tom Price Is Really Into Private Jets

Secretary Price took five expensive chartered flights in one week, according to Politico.

By: Matt Picht

Posted at 9:29 PM, Sep 20, 2017

and last updated 2017-09-20 21:29:40-04

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has apparently racked up quite a travel bill recently.

Politico reports Price chartered five flights between Sept. 13 and 15 to travel back and forth between New Hampshire, Maine and Pennsylvania. The outlet estimates those flights cost at least $60,000.

Now, some House Democrats are planning to look into Price's travel to see if using private planes was wasteful. That's a position Price can relate to. Back when he was in Congress, he complained about its use of private planes.

Price told CNBC, "This is just another example of fiscal irresponsibility run amok in Congress right now."

To be fair, Price made those comments in 2009 during a severe recession. His department told The Huffington Post that the events were important and chartering flights was the best way to get Price there.

Staff for Price's immediate predecessors, Sylvia Mathews Burwell and Kathleen Sebelius, told Politico they couldn't remember chartering any "short-haul" flights for their bosses.