WASHINGTON — The House is ordering up three Gulfstream jets to fly Pentagon and other top government officials — including members of Congress — around the globe in conditions far cushier than coach class.
The almost $200 million appropriation to buy three C-37 jets, the military version of the Gulfstream 550, is buried in a $636 billion Pentagon budget passed by the House last week. It's not as fancy as the version sold to private customers, but still is a very nice ride.
The Pentagon asked for only one of the $65 million planes as part of an ongoing effort to replace aging jets such as the C-20, an older Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. plane that costs about $6,000 an hour to operate, as opposed to about $3,000 for the C-37.
The move raised eyebrows from some Congress-watchers since the planes are sometimes used to ferry lawmakers on overseas trips. And the House measure directs that two of the aircraft be located at Andrews Air Force Base in the Washington suburbs — a favored departure point for congressional trips.
"Congress decided, 'No, no, you're going to buy two more — and those two are going to go to those units right here at Andrews,'" said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a budget watchdog group. READ MORE...
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