Update 08/10/2009 Apparently the amount may be more like $550 million see House Criticized for Private Jet Funding at CBNNews.com.
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Image to right is an interior of a Gulfstream G550 found searching images on google from Aircraft Charter World.
"We ask for only what we need and nothing more," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said. "Congress would be the one who would best be equipped to answer why it is they have added additional Gulfstreams to the budget."
It is one thing with your own money to buy what you want but quite another to take tax payers money to buy it and then at the same time condemn others like the CEO's at the Big Three automakers for using them and then for Big Media to make TV reports on this like they did on AIG and the Big Three automakers and not report similar spending by politicians at tax payers expense. See Commercialism and Capitalism are not the cause to Big Media bias. Only Big Media would have you conclude that way....Do your own test!!!
Values Voter News just reported on Private Jet cost for politicians in early July see The very people who try to scold executives for flying on private jets turn around and hop on their private jet – paid for by you, the taxpayer. ” now this.
High Flying Congress
By JONATHAN KARL
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2009—
Call it Jets for Junkets. Congress is poised to spend $200 million to buy the Air Force three of the highest performing passenger jets in the world, including two planes that will be used for members of Congress and other government VIPs.
The money is included in the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that passed overwhelmingly in the House July 30 by a vote of 400 to 30.
The jets are military versions of the Gulfstream G550, a passenger jet with a cruising speed of more than 600 miles per hour that is capable of flying non-stop from Washington to Beijing without refueling.
The Pentagon had only asked for one jet, which it intends to use for its new Africa Command.
Money for the other two was inserted by the House Appropriations Committee, which also inserted a requirement that the jets be used by the Air Force's 89th Airlift Wing, which is based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, and provides transportation for government VIPs -- including members of Congress.
"We ask for only what we need and nothing more," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said. "Congress would be the one who would best be equipped to answer why it is they have added additional Gulfstreams to the budget."
The funding for the jets was pushed by two members of the Appropriations Committee, Democrat Sanford Bishop and Republican Jack Kingston.
Both are from Georgia, where the Gulfstream is made, and both have received more than $10,000 over the past two years in campaign contributions from General Dynamics, the parent company of Gulfstream.
Bishop didn't return calls for comment. Kingston's office told ABC News that buying the jets "supports local industry" and means jobs for his district.
Congress' Gulfstream Jet Purchase Called 'Hypocritical'
Government watchdog groups see it differently. "It is hypocritical in the fact that lawmakers rightfully criticized automaker CEOs for flying into town, but at the same time, they are stuffing in more than $100 million of taxpayer money so they can fly out of town," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense.
