WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is giving chief of staff John Kelly authority to sign off on government travel on government-owned, rented, leased or chartered aircraft.
The change comes after Tom Price resigned Friday as President Donald Trump’s health secretary over his costly travel.
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney has issued the new guidance, reminding the heads of executive branch departments and agencies that they are public servants and that every penny they spend comes from taxpayers.
Mulvaney tells Cabinet secretaries and department heads to consider whether commercial travel would be a more appropriate use of public funds even when the guidelines allow for the use of government-owned or chartered aircraft.
Mulvaney says that just because something is legal doesn’t make it right.
