H.Res. 275 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 275 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 25, 2013 Mr. Forbes submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the funds made available for the cost of the President’s trip to Africa instead be used to compensate those who have been placed on an administrative furlough as a result of sequestration. Whereas, as a result of administrative furloughs, civil servants across the country have had their regular salaries reduced; Whereas the President and the First Lady are scheduled to travel to Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania from June 26 through July 3, 2013; Whereas, when White House personnel are on official travel, certain personal expenses, including per diem (food and lodging), car rentals, and other incidentals, are paid by the Government; these expenses are paid by the State Department for foreign travel; Whereas most of the costs involve operational costs of the aircraft, and include fuel, maintenance, engineering support, and per diem expenses for the crew; Whereas, in 2012, the United States Air Force indicated that the cost per hour for the President’s Boeing 747 (which is designated VC–25 by the Air Force) is $179,750; Whereas President Obama’s trip to Africa is estimated to cost $60,000,000 to $100,000,000; Whereas, in September of 1999, the Government Accountability Office estimated that the estimated incremental costs of President Clinton’s trips to Africa was at least $42,800,000; Whereas the President signed the Budget Control Act (Public Law 112–25), which called for sequestration, on August 2, 2011; Whereas sequestration took effect on March 1, 2013, and will cut $984,000,000,000 over the nine-year period of 2013 through 2021; Whereas, in 2013, there will be $85,000,000,000 in discretionary spending cuts, which will equal between 5 percent and 13 percent of each agency’s budget, depending on the Federal agency; and Whereas, in order to compensate for these budgetary cuts, some Federal agencies have instituted administrative furloughs designed to absorb reduced funding: Now, therefore, be it That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the funds made available for the cost of the President’s trip to Africa instead be used to compensate those who have been placed on an administrative furlough as a result of sequestration.