Overall Appropriation Request Has Swelled To $550 Million

It seems that the  $200 million appropriated by the House Armed Services Committee for three Gulfstream C-37's ANN reported last week was just the tip of the iceberg. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Senate is considering an appropriations bill that includes nearly $550 million for aircraft to transport government officials independent of the commercial air system.

But the measure is also drawing bi-partisan opposition in the Senate.

The Senate bill would appropriate money for eight Gulfstream and Boeing jets as a plan to upgrade the fleet of aircraft used by the military, and sometimes members of congress, for travel to areas where commercial flight is difficult or even impossible. "It is evidence that some of the cynicism about Washington is well placed -- that people get out of touch and they spend money like it's Monopoly money," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) said in an interview Sunday.

The Obama Administration had originally requested $220 million for 4 jets, the paper reported. Senators upped that to eight as they were leaving Washington for their August recess, one of the busiest travel periods for members of Congress.

Gulfstream C-37 File Photo

While many members say they will oppose the funding when debate resumes in the fall, supporters of the purchase say the older aircraft have to be replaced. "The key here is not whether or not planes will be bought, it's when planes will be bought," said Ellis Brachman, a spokesman for the House Appropriations Committee, the panel that approved the spending. He said only about 15% of the Air Force passenger flights include members of congress, and that the planes are predominately used by the military.

FMI: http://appropriations.house.gov, http://appropriations.senate.gov