The current administration under President Biden has seen a significant expansion in the White House staff, a phenomenon not witnessed since the era of former President Richard Nixon.
The staff count has surged to 565, costing taxpayers nearly $61 million, marking a slight increase from the 560 staffers during Biden's first year in office. This information was revealed in a report by Open the Books.
As reported by Fox News, the report highlighted that Biden is the first president to have a staff exceeding 500 since Nixon. The size of Nixon's staff had prompted Time magazine in 1971 to comment on its "startling rapidity" of growth.
The staff of First Lady Jill Biden has also seen a considerable increase, reaching a count of 24 in 2024. This number matches the often-debated size of former First Lady Michelle Obama's staff in 2009 and more than doubles the staff size of former First Lady Melania Trump, which peaked at 11. The First Lady's staff, which includes advisors specializing in foreign policy, education, and healthcare, comes with a price tag of $2.5 million.
In comparison to his immediate predecessors, President Biden's staff size significantly overshadows theirs. Former President Donald Trump had a staff of 413 in Fiscal Year 2020, while former President Barack Obama had a staff of 468 in Fiscal Year 2012. Furthermore, Biden's current payroll of $60.8 million surpasses the highest payrolls under both Trump and Obama, with Obama's highest payroll at an inflation-adjusted $58.3 million, and Trump's at an inflation-adjusted $52.2 million.
The highest-paid staffer under Biden is Michelle Barrans, an associate counsel "on detail" from the Securities and Exchange Commission, earning a salary of $251,258. Following closely is Farah Ahmad, a special advisor for economic development, with a salary of $191,900.
However, the Biden administration has also experienced a high turnover rate since he assumed office in 2021. Of the initial 560 employees, 435 have left since the numbers were first reported.
A White House spokesperson, in a statement to Fox News Digital, acknowledged a nine percent increase in staff from last year. They attributed this increase to the expansion of teams with specific policy focuses, such as the Office of Pandemic Preparedness & Response Policy and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The spokesperson also mentioned that the White House filled vacancies across various departments over the past year, which were not reflected in the July 1, 2023, report.
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