Family Life

08.10.09 | FL News Team

A plan by House leaders to spend 550-million dollars on new jets is facing opposition in the Senate. Lawmakers in the House want to buy eight Gulfstream 5 and Boeing 737 jets to be used occasionally by members of Congress for world travels. The spending request was included in a broader defense-funding bill even though the Pentagon said there was no need for the new jets. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting several senators are expressing concern about the spending. Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri is quoted as saying "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." A Republican, South Dakota Senator John Thune calls funding for the new aircraft "a classic example of Congress being out of touch with the realities of deficit spending."

The Obama administration had asked for enough funding to purchase four jets to replace some older planes. Just before heading out of Washington for the August break, house leaders doubled the order to eight. Supporters of the spending claim operating the newer planes is less expensive than flying older aircraft and that new planes will be purchased someday anyway.