The Administration had requested only four new jets.
This money will come out of the Defense budget, something the Pentagon wasn't pleased about. "It forces us to take money from things we do need to fund and redirect it for things we don't need," Geoff Morrell, a spokesman for Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said.
The purpose of the jet fleet is to fly Pentagon, White House and State Department officials around. However, Congressional members can use these jet also, and apparently Congress prefers to use the fleet because spouses can travel free (spouses aren't reimbursed for travel on commercial airlines).
An email earlier in the year from Speaker Pelosi's office stated "...there are no G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable. ... The speaker will want to know where the planes are." Mrs. Pelosi has the use of a 12 passenger, high speed jet to travel back and forth to San Francisco; these trips have cost taxpayers more than $2 million in 2007 and 2008.
Where else are our tax dollars going? The Senate needs to nix this.
PostandCourier.com
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