Congressional Republicans are criticizing President Biden for using taxpayer funds to fly to Delaware to vote in the state’s primary election this week, despite advocating for mail-in voting, while Democrats are defending his move. GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the president’s round trip was a waste of taxpayer money and contrary to policies the White House has pursued since taking office. “It sounds pretty terrible for the environment to fly a short distance to go vote,” said spokeswoman Nancy Mace, RS.C. “But secondly, he’s been pushing mail-in ballots for the last two years and now he’s going to vote in person. It seems a little hypocritical.” Other lawmakers questioned why Biden chose not to pay for the trip himself. He was also in Delaware over the weekend and returned to Washington, D.C., on Sunday, two days before returning to the state to vote in person. PRESIDENT DEM HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAYS POPULATORS ‘RUNNING SCARED’ AHEAD OF INTERMEDIATE U.S. President Joe Biden gestures as he boards Air Force One for a trip to Philadelphia from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., March 11, 2022. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst) “Well, all I thought was who paid for this? Is he paying for this? I’m paying for it when I go to vote,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. “I think everyone else does, I read $177,000 because they forgot to vote absentee. That’s not a very good example for anybody.” The exact cost of the trip remains unclear, but the Air Force reported in 2014 that the average cost of flying the presidential Boeing 747 for one hour was more than $206,000. Biden, however, took a smaller Boeing 757 to Delaware this week, according to Bloomberg. BIDEN BUILDING FENCE AT BEACH HOUSE AFTER BORDER WALL HALT “I think it’s a huge waste of taxpayer money,” said Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala. “I think it’s another sign of how the Democrats are going to politicize everything, because it’s all about show and not actually getting into elections.” “He’s been pushing mail in ballots for the last two years and now he’s going to vote in person,” said Rep. Nancy Mace. “It seems a bit hypocritical.” (AP) The White House defended the trip, saying the president felt it was important to show the American public the importance of voting at a time when questions about election integrity were “The president has a very heavy schedule,” White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said. “He thought it was important to exercise his … right to vote and set an example by showing the importance of voting.” Congressional Democrats say the GOP’s criticism is unwarranted. “I think it’s a huge waste of taxpayer money,” said Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala. (REUTERS/Emily Elconin) “Why would it be a bad thing to go vote,” Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., told Fox News Digital.
Other Democrats, like Rep. Richie Torres, argued that Republicans were actually the hypocrites who criticized Biden’s decision to vote in person in Delaware. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I remember the Republicans, who criticize absentee voting,” Torres said. “Well, it just seems that this criticism is largely bad. He has every right to vote in person… I’m proud that as president, no matter how hectic his schedule is, he still manages to find time to participate as a citizen.” Haris Alic covers Congress and politics for Fox News Digital. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @realharisalic.