1st Session
H. R. 2414
To limit the amount of expenditure on Presidential travel, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 11, 2017
Mr. Ted Lieu of California (for himself and Mr. Nadler) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To limit the amount of expenditure on Presidential travel, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Waste And Misuse by the
President Act of 2017'' or as the ``SWAMP Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Presidential travel to commercial entities owned in
whole or in part by the President or First Family results in
the American taxpayer effectively subsidizing the President's
businesses.
(2) Given current expenditures, President Trump is on track
to spend more during his first year of office than all eight
years of the Obama administration combined.
(3) It is unacceptable for the President to maintain an
interest in traveling to properties in which he has a direct
financial interest, as the U.S. Government is responsible for
renting space for personnel in said private commercial
entities.
(4) Every time the President travels to Mar-a-Lago, he
necessarily promotes his private business interests via free
press at the Government's expense.
(5) The State Department's recent promotion of Mar-a-Lago
on its official website raises serious ethics concerns.
(6) As of April 14, 2017, President Trump has cost the U.S.
taxpayer unprecedented amounts of money, including the
following estimated costs:
(A) For trips to Mar-a-Lago:
(i) Total cost for security in Palm Beach:
$3,700,000 (each trip).
(ii) Roundtrip flights from Joint Base
Andrews, Maryland, to West Palm, Florida:
$700,000.
(iii) Overtime for local law enforcement
during Trump's trips: $60,000/day.
(iv) Total golf cart rentals ordered by the
Secret Service ``for POTUS visit'': $35,185.
(v) Estimated loss of business due to
airport closure: $30,000/weekend.
(B) For Trump Tower:
(i) Request for additional Secret Service
funding to secure Trump Towers: $60,000,000.
(ii) New York Police Department security
costs: $127,000-$146,000/day.
(iii) ``Elevator services'' ordered by the
Secret Service: $64,000.
(iv) Air Force One flights to New York
City: $180,000/hour.
(7) The proposed 2017 Federal spending bill includes
reimbursements for millions of dollars spent by Florida and New
York to protect the President and First Family, and facilitate
their travel. While localities should be reimbursed, the
taxpayer should not be responsible for said reimbursement.
SEC. 3. REIMBURSAL FOR COSTS OF PROTECTION.
In the case of a person whom the United States Secret Service is
authorized to protect under paragraph (1) or (2) of section 3056(a) of
title 18, United States Code, if that person, while traveling for
official business or for personal purposes, stays in a hotel or other
establishment providing daily-rate accommodation in which that person
has an ownership or financial interest, that person shall reimburse to
the Treasury--
(1) any amount expended by the United States Secret Service
for the provision of such protection; and
(2) any amount expended for other costs incurred by the
Government pertaining to that stay.
<all>
H.R.2414 - SWAMP Act of 2017
......................................................................
Now my question is. If people were so upset about the 'extravagances' of Obama why are they not upset now?
Edited by
karmafury
on Mon 05/22/17 07:47 PM
