Car sales aren’t weak for those dealing to the White House.
The number of limousines used in the federal fleet nearly doubled from 2008 to 2010, iWatch News reported. The largest recorded hike in the fleet was for Sec. Hilary Clinton’s State Department.
The inflated fleet has come about out of a need to protect government officials, the Obama administration told iWatch News. Data from the General Services Administration shows that in 2008 only 238 limousines were used. In 2010, 412 limousines were used.
A spokeswoman for the GSA told iWatch that the numbers were unreliable and broad. She also added that the term limousine can define sedans or protective duty vehicles.
The Government Accountability Office released a March report that revealed the federal government threw down $1.9 billion for new vehicles in 2009, according to iWatch News .
While some departments gained new rides, other lost their driving privileges.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, iWatch reported, had 21 vehicles in 2008 but only had one vehicle in 2010.
The increase in vehicle spending is a source for public angst, Leslie Paige of Citizens Against Government Waste told iWatch.
“(It’s) one more reason why there is so much cynicism in the public about what goes on in Washington,” Paige said.