Congress buys 3 private jets for themselves ?

Congress buys 3 private jets for themselves ?

what is this bullshit in Washington ?

By Michael Schwanke and Chris Durden (WICHITA, Kan.)

Less than a year after lawmakers in Congress criticized automakers,
the House approves nearly $200 million for Gulfstream jets to fly government officials and members of Congress.

"I don't know how I go back to my constituents and say the auto industry has changed. If they own
private jets which are not only expensive to own expensive to operate and
expensive to fly here rather than to have flown commercial." Congressman Brad Sherman
(D-CA) said back in November.

Now, members of Congress may be the ones on the "hot seat" after the House of Representatives
overwhelmingly approved the purchase of three, $65 million Gulfstream 550 jets.
They are top of the line and two of them will be used by members of Congress,
military brass and top government officials.

"I thought this is supremely hypocritical for them to do that," says Wichita resident
Robert Gruenloh who contacted us after reading the story.

"I just basically hit the ceiling because our industry around here
is hurting because in part what some of the remarks members of congress made about corporate aircraft."

The jets are part of a Defense Appropriation Bill for the Air Force.
Officials with the Air Force say it only needed one jet.

It's reported 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.

"The corporate guys were doing it with shareholder money and Congress is doing it with taxpayer money and that doesn't seem right to me," says Gruenloh.

Eyewitness News contacted Congressman Todd Tiahrt who is on the Appropriations Committee.
He was with family and unavailable for an interview, but he has strongly opposed
comments by members of Congress about corporate jet usage.


http://www.kansascw.com/Global/story.asp?S=10855866