REP. JOE BARTON: My first question is: Do you know how much DOE spent on travel last year?
JOHNS: I could do the math for you—I don’t have the number off the top of my head.
BARTON: Do the other two witnesses know that number?
FRIEDMAN: I don’t know the answer, Mr. Barton, but what’s really interesting is the amount of money spent by the federal employees is a paltry amount compared to the amount spent by the facility management contractors of their department. That’s where the big bucks obviously are.
BARTON: Do you want to put numbers on those? When you say paltry that’s a pretty general term.
FRIEDMAN: I have not looked at the number. My understanding is it’s in the $60 million range.
BARTON: $60 million for the contractors?
FRIEDMAN: No, $60 million for the feds.
BARTON: Oh, that’s paltry.
FRIEDMAN: Compared to the contractors. Let me be clear about that.
BARTON: Okay, if $60 milion’s paltry, you’re saying the contractors spend several hundred million on travel?
FRIEDMAN: I don’t have that analysis. I would suspect several hundred million is an understatement.
BARTON: Can you get it?
FRIEDMAN: I cannot get it easily, no.
BARTON: Mr. Johns could get it. Will you get it and provide it to the members of the committee on both sides of the aisle?
JOHNS: Yes, sir.