[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 77 (Friday, June 17, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABIL- ITY TO THE TAXPAYERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Byrne). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, yesterday my office reported to 
the media and to the country that the White House staff during their 
trip to Normandy on 30 U.S. aircraft, which is five times as many 
aircraft as were used 10 years ago by Ronald Reagan and George Bush on 
this trip, at a cost we estimate at $10 to $15 million to the 
taxpayers, during that trip the President and many of his staff stayed 
aboard the U.S.S. George Washington,  and they stayed in staterooms. We 
reported yesterday that the White House staff stole several hundred 
dollars' worth of the bathrobes with the insignia on them, and several 
hundred dollars' worth of the towels and so forth. And then it was 
reported on television last night and in the media that maybe there was 
some confusion, that maybe they thought these robes that were very 
beautiful and monogrammed, that you and I would probably pay $175 or 
$200 apiece for, they were only $35 according to the Navy because they 
bought them in bulk, but they said that maybe this was just a mistake. 
They thought it was part of a gift package.
  In fact, in the Washington Post it said the White House staff said if 
robes and towels were missing they were sure it was part of a mixup. It 
seems the staff had forked over $11 for a bath kit to use in the shower 
and some toiletries, and they found the towels and the robes alongside 
in their staterooms.
  Well, today I received a copy of the memo that was put on every 
single bed in every single stateroom during the President's visit on 
the U.S.S. George Washington. Here is what it says:

       Welcome aboard George Washington. Please accept this bath 
     kit as a gift, compliments of the captain and crew. Blue, 
     monogrammed towels may be purchased in the ship's store.

  Now, if you see that the blue monogrammed towels can be purchased at 
the ship's store for $5 or $10, you have got to assume that the robes, 
which are much more costly and more beautiful, would also be purchased 
at the ship's store.
  The fact of the matter is these items were taken by the White House 
staff. A lot of people say this is a tempest in a teapot, we are only 
talking about a few hundred dollars. That is not the issue. There is an 
arrogance at the White House that you cannot believe. You cannot get 
them to report to Congress. They feel like they have won this place and 
everything in the country belongs to them, regardless of whether or not 
it is paid for the taxpayer. And we are trying to get them to realize 
that they have to be responsible to the Congress and the people of this 
country, and they have to explain when they are spending taxpayer 
dollars, whether it is 30 U.S. aircraft going over to Normandy instead 
of 5 or 6 at a cost of $30 million, or whether they are taking 
bathrobes that do not belong to them off the U.S.S. George Washington. 
  And then they lie about it, they lie about it, because they knew that 
they were not supposed to take those things, because this document was 
placed on every one of their beds.
  We contacted the Navy and asked them what would happen if an enlisted 
man or an officer stole a robe or stole property from the Navy or the 
U.S.S. George Washington. I believe the answer will be coming back 
today or tomorrow saying they would either be severely disciplined or 
they would be court martialed for stealing U.S. Government property, 
taxpayers' property. Yet nothing is coming out of the White House 
except well, they made a mistake.
  Two weeks ago they took a U.S. Helicopter, presidential helicopter 
down to a golf course and played golf at a cost of $14,000 or $15,000 a 
day for it, and the President was not even on that trip. They later 
fired the guy that did that.
  I am telling you, there is an arrogance down there that must be 
changed. People who are doing this must be taken to task, either 
severely disciplined or removed.
  We have asked the White House, under the Freedom of Information Act, 
who went on that trip to Normandy.
  There were about 1,000 people who went. Did the taxpayers foot the 
whole bill, or did many of those people reimburse the taxpayers for the 
aircraft, or for their hotel or their meals, which incidentally were 
catered not by the U.S. Air Force, as is normally the case, but they 
were by a private caterer at three or four times the cost to the 
taxpayers. So we want the White House to respond and be accountable to 
the people of the United States.
  I serve on the committee of jurisdiction. During the Reagan and Bush 
administrations, we got cooperation and got the information we 
requested.

                              {time}  1330

  Sometimes it took a couple of weeks, but we did get it. From this 
administration, it has stonewalled, excuses and lies, and we believe 
that the people who did this should be taken to task just like the 
gentleman who used the U.S. helicopter for his golf trip should be 
taken to task, just like John Sununu was taken to task under the Reagan 
administration.
  We have written to the White House under the Freedom of Information 
Act asking for a list of those who took these items. They say they do 
not know who took them. Those staterooms were assigned. Everybody knew 
who was in which stateroom. They know where those items were taken 
from. So it is pretty easy to figure out who took them. They should be 
disciplined.
  We want a list of them so we can raise an issue here in the Congress 
and have an investigation. We want to change the attitude of the White 
House. We hope the President will take the lead on this. He was on the 
ship. He is the Commander in Chief, and he should deal with it in a 
very timely fashion.

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