WASHINGTON ¨C Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, under fire for his use of taxpayer-funded private jets, said he will pay back the U.S. government for expenses associated with the charters and vowed to fly commercial from now on.

Price will reimburse $51,887.31 for his share, according to his department. That would be fraction of the total costs of what Politico reported were at least 26 private flights since February, totaling more than $400,000.

¡°The taxpayers won¡¯t pay a dime for my seat on those planes,¡± Price said in a statement Thursday.

Price, who is facing investigations by Congress and his department¡¯s Office of Inspector General over his travels, said he is cooperating fully and has initiated an internal review to determine if any reforms are necessary. He turned up for a speaking engagement at the National Press Club, giving no sign he would soon leave his job amid the widening scandal.

¡°It is clear to me that in this case, I was not sensitive enough to my concern for the taxpayer,¡± he said in the statement. ¡°I know as well as anyone that the American people want to know that their hard-earned dollars are being spent wisely by government officials.¡±

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was looking ¡°very closely¡± at the possibility of firing Price. A White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the secretary had spoken with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and didn¡¯t offer his resignation.

Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Trump Thursday suggesting chartered travel should be halted government-wide and asked the president to detail plans ¡°to ensure that Cabinet secretaries use the most fiscally responsible travel.¡±

¡°I have spent forty years both as a doctor and in public service putting people first,¡± Price said in the statement. ¡°It has been my personal honor to serve the American people, and I look forward to continuing that service.¡±

On his way into the Thursday appearance, Price ignored shouted questions about his future. But after receiving a flu shot on stage at the event, he sounded upbeat.

¡°We¡¯re going to work through this. I think we¡¯ve still got the confidence of the president and we continue to work on important issues like the flu,¡± Price said.