Study: Obama Beats Elder Bush’s Record to Become Most-Traveled President in First Two Years of Term
(Alexandria,
VA) - Whatever diplomatic goals he may have wanted to achieve at the NATO
Summit in Lisbon this past weekend, President Barack Obama reached at least one
milestone: with this trip he has spent more days out of the country than any
other President during his first two years in office. This is just one of many
findings – including a major update on the operating costs of Air Force One –
from a National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF) study on Presidential travel released
today.
(Click here to read the full report.)
“Besides avoiding obvious
inconveniences like long lines and pat-downs at airports, Presidents have an
often-unseen army – and air force – to help them travel,” said NTUF Senior
Policy Analyst and study author Demian Brady. “Although many of these trips
involve necessary duties of the Chief Executive, Presidents are going abroad
with increasing frequency, all at an increasing but ultimately unknown cost to
taxpayers.”
Brady painstakingly sifted through
State Department data, White House communiqués, and other sources to conduct
comparisons of the current and past Presidents’ trips overseas. Among his
findings:
- President
Obama has made 15 trips and visited 26 countries (eight of them more than
once), over a period of 55 total days during his first two years in office.
This tops the previous record of 54 days abroad set by President George H. W.
Bush for two years. At this rate, by 2012 Obama would rack up 110 foreign travel
days – also surpassing the elder Bush’s record for a one-term President (102
days over four years).
- Overall,
Bill Clinton remains the most-traveled President. During eight years in office,
he made 55 total trips and spent 233 days abroad. He was out of the country
29.1 days per year. The second most-traveled President is George W. Bush.
During his two terms he took 49 trips and was abroad 215 days, or 26.9 days per
year.
- Although
some commentators have said President Obama’s recent trips provide a timely
distraction for disappointing election results, the month of November after
mid-term elections has been a popular travel time for Presidents. All three of
Obama’s predecessors have done so.
The author also tackled the toughest
question of all surrounding Presidential travel: the total tab for taxpayers.
One surprising answer he received came after an inquiry he made with the 89th
Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base about the cost to fly the modified 747
jet that typically serves as Air Force One. Government and media reports have
given varying estimates, as high as $100,219 per hour. In a major coup for
public disclosure, Brady confirmed from the Air Force that the cost is much
higher: $181,757 per hour, including “fuel, flight consumables, depot level
repairables, aircraft overhaul and engine overhaul.”
While Brady completely debunked rumors that
Obama’s recent Asia journey cost taxpayers $200 million per day, he noted that
federal officials have refused to provide any details on the actual expenses
that were incurred. Air Force One’s flight costs are only a small part of the
Presidential travel package, which incorporates advance teams, back-up
aircraft, diplomatic staff, motorcades, security, and much more. He contends
that even though the subject is always politically charged, Congressional
Democrats and Republicans now have a post-election “window” within which they
could work toward better cost disclosure.
“Thanksgiving
travelers know how much they’re paying for their airline tickets and other
expenses, and as taxpayers they likewise deserve to know how much they’re
paying to send the President overseas,” Brady concluded. “Only then can they
have a rational conversation about whether the pomp of Presidential travel is
worth the price.”
NTUF
is the research and educational affiliate of the 362,000-member National
Taxpayers Union, a non-profit citizen group. Note: NTUF Issue Brief 161, Incredible Journey: How Barack Obama Became
the Most-Traveled President His First Two Years in Office, is available
online at www.ntu.org.
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Press Release
