Republicans Want Congress Involved In Trump's Qatar Jet Push

Senior Republican lawmakers Thursday insisted Congress should insert itself into President Donald Trump's push to accept a luxury jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One — piling on increasing GOP pushback about the cost and ethics of the gift.

"I have some concerns about an aircraft coming to the United States from the Qataris, both from a security aspect ... [and] all the the questions too of accepting gifts from foreign governments," senior House Armed Services member Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) said at the POLITICO Security Summit. “Congress needs to play a role” in any potential deal.

Trump, who is traveling this week in the Middle East, wants to accept a Boeing jet from the Qatari royal family. Such a move not only raises concerns about accepting a foreign gift. The plane would need to be retrofitted with secure communications and other functions needed to serve as Air Force One, a process that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Air Force already is overseeing the outfitting of two Boeing jets to replace the current aging ones. But that process has seen significant delays and Trump argues the Qatar jet would offer a cheaper, quicker solution.

Republicans are casting doubt on that assertion. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services panel, said at the summit that she wants to examine the effort "from more of a policy and a budget” perspective.

"I want to look at the cost of that and how that compares to just getting a new plane, but also the idea that it would be carried over after President Trump's presidency for his library," Fischer said. "How does that affect the taxpayer? Because obviously the next president is going to need a plane."

Wittman argued for expediting the current program that is “well underway with the Boeing aircraft. Let's push the envelope."

Democrats are incensed about Trump's potential jet deal. House Armed Services Committee ranking Democrat Adam Smith (D-Wash.), also speaking at the POLITICO summit, slammed the proposal as a pure act of corruption.

"This is the most corrupt administration ever," he said. "I mean this is really, really bad in terms of the integrity of the United States government."