Air Congress spending $550 million to upgrade their travel comfort to luxury class

A few months ago, we, the citizens of this fine country, were treated to the broadcast spectacle of our national leaders scolding automobile industry executives for flying private jets to congressional hearings after accepting hundreds of millions of dollars in bailout funds.

This past week, it was announced that our righteously forthright and politically savvy congressional leaders have approved a plan to upgrade the congressional jet fleet with eight (8) brand new jets. Of the eight, three are Gulfstream G550s, which retail for $49 million apiece ... Congress will be paying $66 million each. Do the math.

The total price tag: $550 million.

According to The House Appropriations Committee, the new purchases will be replacing seven older, more expensive business jets. They also suggested the price tag is a win-win because the overall impact of replacing the entire fleet of seven jets with eight brand new jets is a net increase of one new plane and a "substantial" increase in passenger capacity.

"Substantial". The Gulfstream V is capable of carrying 16 people.

In 2007, Congressional world-travel exceeded $13 million. This figure represents a ten-fold increase in travel expenditures since 1995, when travel records were first made available electronically. A three-decade-old law mandates that travel costs be covered by an unlimited fund.

The House's official handbook requires that lawmakers use regular U.S. airlines "whenever possible, unless such service is not reasonably available." Most travel must be approved by congressional committees. However, congressional records show members routinely take military planes to London, Paris and other well-served locales. Members can fly for free with their spouses on military aircraft. [WSJ]

This month, for example, 11 separate congressional delegations will swing through Germany. House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio is leading five other lawmakers on a trip around the world. Sen. Richard Shelby (R., Ala.) is taking a group of senators and their spouses to Europe for three weeks. [WSJ]

At a time when populist anger is over flowing due to a severe recession, 10% unemployment, huge numbers of home foreclosures, and ginned-up fears of socialist health-care reform are sweeping the country ... Congress, in its never-out-of-touch-with-public-opinion-down-home-we-are-one-you-guys insight decides to blow hundreds of millions of dollars on a brand new fleet of private jets.

Goodness knows our elected leaders deserve to fly in luxury while voters lose their homes, retirement funds, health care, and jobs.