Congress Spending $550 Million on Eight Planes

Fresh after saving $100 million (Berman Post: "$100 Million Savings Challenge" Completed), the government is about to blow $550 million to buy eight new planes. That is above what the Air Force suggested. Fiscal responsibility at its best. Say; remember when congress attacked executives for flying into DC after getting government money. They wanted to make some point about wasting people's money. Some how I do not think that our representatives are going to pay for this out of their own pocket.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124960404730212955.html (bold mine)

"Congress plans to spend $550 million to buy eight jets, a substantial upgrade to the fleet used by federal officials at a time when lawmakers have criticized the use of corporate jets by companies receiving taxpayer funds.

The purchases will help accommodate growing travel demand by congressional officials. The planes augment a fleet of about two dozen passenger jets maintained by the Air Force for lawmakers, administration officials and military chiefs to fly on government trips in the U.S. and abroad.

The congressional shopping list goes beyond what the Air Force had initially requested as part of its annual appropriations. The Pentagon sought to buy one Gulfstream V and one business-class equivalent of a Boeing 737 to replace aging planes. The Defense Department also asked to buy two additional 737s that were being leased."