WASHINGTON (AP) — Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth didn’t request greater than $137,000 in repairs and upgrades to navy housing at Fort McNair that can grow to be his official residence, in response to a U.S. official accustomed to the work order, who says the Military undertook the repairs by itself for the reason that greater than 100-year-old dwelling had sat vacant for a 12 months and wanted safety upgrades.
The price of the repairs — together with virtually $50,000 being spent on new paint — got here to gentle in a Jan. 30 notification to Congress from the Military.
The notification prompted requires higher transparency by some Democratic lawmakers who sought solutions on why the associated fee was obligatory and whether or not Hegseth would reimburse the federal government by rental funds for the military-provided housing, as different senior government service protection officers are required to do.
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The Military selected the house on Fort McNair for Hegseth based mostly on what was out there, and Hegseth didn’t search the repairs, a few of that are wanted to bolster security for the protection secretary, who’s sixth within the line of succession, mentioned the official, who was not licensed to debate particulars of Hegseth’s housing and spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity.
Hegseth’s quick predecessor, Lloyd Austin, elected to live in a private residence he bought.
In an announcement, the Military mentioned it “performs routine upkeep and repairs to all residences between tenants to satisfy occupancy requirements, no matter rank and place. Historic houses sometimes have increased prices as a consequence of their dimension and the intricate particulars related to the period they had been constructed.”
The expense comes, nonetheless, because the Trump administration is slashing prices throughout authorities businesses. President Donald Trump has mentioned he’ll ask Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to assessment the Pentagon’s spending.
It additionally comes as deteriorated navy on-base housing worldwide continues to be a difficulty, with mold, lack of timely repairs and aged infrastructure typically slicing into service members’ high quality of life.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat who was amongst these in search of solutions on the housing upgrades, mentioned in an announcement to the AP that Hegseth “definitely ought to know what his most well-liked residence will price our taxpayers. If he needs hardworking People to cowl that expense, it’s rank hypocrisy. He and the president can’t preach to our households that they have to go with out very important funds and providers, then not follow it themselves.”
“We sit up for the Secretary’s solutions to all our housing and rental price questions and welcome a agency dedication to assist service members who dwell with mould and rodents to get the identical, swift housing therapy that he did,” Wasserman Schultz mentioned.
Fort McNair is the nation’s third-oldest Military set up. Its historic row of white-columned, three-story normal officer quarters overlook the Washington Channel. The houses date again to 1902 and have been used over time to accommodate members of the Joint Chiefs of Employees and combatant commanders.
It’s much less regular to have a member of the Cupboard reside in a single, although former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo selected to dwell at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Corridor throughout Trump’s first time period, and his transfer there required related safety upgrades to that residence.
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