The Interior Department is increasing scrutiny on employee travel requests in the coming months. Wynn Radford, the chief of staff at the Interior Department, issued an internal memo indicating that all group travel requests for the next 45 days, and any international travel intended in the next 60 days, must be reviewed by Thomas Baptiste, a senior adviser to the Interior Secretary. The objective of this review process is to confirm that travel is essential for government functions.
The memo was distributed to acting agency assistant secretaries, bureau and office directors, the inspector general, and other senior officials. Radford emphasized the importance of responsible travel use and urged officials to remind employees about adhering to these guidelines.