Keeping the trains running at the White House takes a lot of staff and money.
And with President Joe Biden as the conductor, it takes more than ever.
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A White House payroll and staffing review by the group OpenTheBooks found that the White House staff under Biden is the biggest and most expensive in history.
“During President Joe Biden’s first three years, he spent $158.8 million on the largest White House payroll in American history, based on headcount. White House staff for FY2023 collectively cost $52,775,234,” said the report from OpenTheBooks CEO Adam Andrzejewski.
“No White House ever employed 500 staffers until Biden became president. The Biden White House employed 560 in FY2021 and 474 in FY2022. In 2023, the headcount increased by 50, to 524,” he added.
Those are considerably higher than the staffs of former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama. Trump, at this point of his presidency, had 108 less and Obama 70 fewer.
Not only did Trump operate with fewer aides, but so did former first lady Melania Trump. She averaged between five to 12 aides.
In the Biden East Wing, first lady Jill Biden’s staff count is at least 20 and rivals the sizable and much-criticized group that surrounded former first lady Michelle Obama. She had 24 assistants, said the report.
What’s more, Jill Biden’s office has more than doubled in size in the past year as she readies to step in more and more for her husband on the campaign trail.
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One stand-out issue highlighted by Andrzejewski was the turnover of White House staffers. Andrzejewski found that Biden has a 46% turnover rate, with 220 employees out in 2022.
Also, Biden employs more women than men, though there is a bit of a salary gap. “Of the 524 White House staffers, 313 are women. Collectively, the women take home $30.9 million in salaries, with an average salary of $98,868. Men make up 207 of the staffers, collecting $21.5 in salaries, with an average salary of $103,801,” said the report.