Perry points to Manhattan Project to defend costly flights
Energy Secretary WASHINGTON — Rick Perry on Thursday defended $56,000 dollars in taxpayer money used for noncommercial air travel for him and his staff, in part by blaming the World War II-era Manhattan Project for building his agency’s assets in far-flung locations.
The former Texas governor, appearing before a House energy subcommittee, said that when legendary Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves created the atomic bomb-building Manhattan Project in the 1940s, “he wanted ... places that were pretty difficult to get to.” So to get to places like Hanford, Wash., in a “timely fashion” these days, Perry said it could sometimes require noncommercial travel.
“I travel a lot to do my job,” the Texan told lawmakers. “I do it in a way I think is thoughtful, with the taxpayers in mind. I’m going to continue to do my job. I’m going to try to do it in the most thoughtful and most reasonable way.”
The energy chief has been more of a footnote amid growing scrutiny into the Trump administration’s travel habits.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned after racking up $500,000 on charter flights. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin came under fire for spending $800,000 on military flights. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has been dinged for mixing business and personal travel.
But lawmakers nonetheless pressed Perry to explain the six noncommercial trips he’s taken since coming into office.
Four of the trips used government planes to take Perry to Energy Department sites in Idaho, New Mexico, Kansas and Washington. The other two involved a chartered flight to a Pennsylvania coal plant — “at the request of the White House” — and then on to an Energy Department site in Ohio.
“I continue to be concerned by the amount of money this administration is spending when it comes to noncommercial travel for members of the cabinet and their staff,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J.
Perry sought to defuse the tension, in part by recalling his time as a state agriculture commissioner.
He pointed out that Southwest Airlines doesn’t go to Dumas, a small town north of Amarillo. He said it’s possible to get to Dumas by driving there, but, “Boy, it takes a while.” He offered that you could also take a bus or even hitchhike.
“You can get there,” Perry said. “But you aren’t going to get much work done.”
And at least one Texan, Arlington Rep. Joe Barton, was eager to back up Perry.
“We’re OK if ... every now and then, when you are going ... to all 17 national laboratories that are out in remote places, intentionally, if it’s expedient and doesn’t violate federal law, that on occasion you use a chartered flight,” he said.
But questions about Perry’s travel aren’t likely to disappear. It cost $35,000 in May, for instance, for Perry to take a Gulfstream IV to visit the agency’s Kansas City National Security Campus. A commercial flight between D.C. and Kansas City’s regular airport would’ve put Perry just 45 minutes away from his destination — for thousands of dollars less.
Perry pledged, however, that he would be a good steward.
“I hope at the end of that process, they can look back and say, ‘You know what, these folks did a good job of expending these dollars and getting the job done,’” he said.