Donald Trump's hefty travel expenses have become a hot button issue since he took office in January.
Now one House Democrat has set out to charge the commander-in-chief for trips to properties he owns.
According to the Washington Examiner, California Rep. Ted Lieu has introduced the Stop Waste and Misuse by the President (SWAMP) Act.
The bill would require Trump to reimburse the government for public money spent on travel to his own properties, including his exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. It claims that each trip Trump takes to Mar-a-Lago costs $3.7 million in security alone. That number doesn't take into account overtime pay for local law enforcement or the cost of flights. Trips aboard Air Force One can cost as much as $142,000 an hour.
What's more, Trump has already visited Mar-a-Lago more than half a dozen times since he became president.
"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," the bill states.
"Every time the president travels to Mar-a-Lago, he necessarily promotes his private business interests via free press at the government's expense."
If approved, the bill would require that Trump and other high-ranking officials benefiting from Secret Service protection pay their own way on trips to properties that they own.
[READMORE] READ MORE: Trump's Florida Trips Are Ethical and Logistical Nightmares [/READMORE]
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, Trump's total travel bill recently reached $30 million. His Mar-a-Lago resort was also at the center of a controversy last month when the U.S. State Department came under fire for appearing to promote the club in an article on ShareAmerica.gov.
The Hill reported Trump is likely to spend more time visiting his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey as the weather heats up. The golf club is still 200-plus miles from Washington, D.C.
By comparison, President Barack Obama and his family averaged about $12 million a year in travel costs, according to conservative think tank Judicial Watch.
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