WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) will introduce an amendment to the Senate Continuing Resolution (CR) that would allow the White House to re-open its doors to the American people. The amendment would transfer $2.5 million from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – which just last week signed a 2-year contract that would allow TSA to spend up to $50 million on uniform related expenses – to the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) to pay for the security staff necessary for White House tours for the remainder of FY 2013. The USSS estimates that cancelling White House tours due to sequestration saved a minimum of $2.14 million.

"We can and must be smarter with our spending decisions and make cuts in ways that do not intentionally and unnecessarily inflict hardship and aggravation upon the American people," Sen. Moran said. "Cancelling White House tours is an unnecessary and unfair way for the Department of Homeland Security to meet its budget-cutting obligations – particularly if the necessary savings can be found elsewhere within the department. TSA can absorb this cut – just last week they signed a $50 million contract for new outfits."

Prior to the signing of the new $50 million uniform contract, the TSA uniform allowance had already doubled last November as a part of the new TSA collective bargaining agreement to an estimated $9.57 million annually. This works out to $443 per TSA employee, per year. By comparison, officers in the United States Armed Forces receive either no uniform allowance or a one-time $400 allowance over their lifetime of service.

"There is no reason why American taxpayers should spend more on TSA officers’ uniforms every year than a United States Marine Corps lieutenant can spend in a lifetime,” Sen. Moran continued. “The same taxpayers who are funding TSA officers’ new uniforms are being denied the opportunity to tour the White House – the people’s house."

Sen. Moran’s amendment has been scored by the Congressional Budget Office, which found that it would result in no net change in Budget Authority and would result in an estimated decrease in fiscal year 2013 outlays of $1 million.

Click below to read Sen. Moran’s amendment to re-open the White House to Americans.

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