Senate Republicans Vote To Let Trump Keep Qatar Jet After Taxpayer-funded $1 Billion Retrofit

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While astir group dream for a golden watch arsenic a status gift from their employer, President Donald Trump could time off nan White House aft his 2nd word pinch Air Force One. The Senate Appropriations Committee rejected a measure amendment connected Thursday to artifact Trump from taking nan Boeing 747-8 that was talented to nan Department of Defense from Qatar's royal family. There's nary specified point arsenic a free pitchy because it will cost astir $1 cardinal successful payer money to retrofit for usage arsenic Air Force One. Unsurprisingly, each Republican legislator connected nan subcommittee voted against nan amendment.

The amendment, offered by Sen. Chris Murphy, to nan yearly defense spending measure would person blocked nan jet's ownership transportation to President Trump if nan basal backing for nan retrofit was approved. The retrofit's nonstop costs is unclear, but the Pentagon transferred $934 million from its atomic rocket modernization fund to "an unnamed classified project." The Democratic legislator from Connecticut told The Hill:

"To astir Americans, that's a batch of their money to beryllium spent connected a level that is not going to beryllium successful nan work of nan United States military, successful nan United States Air Force, for possibly immoderate longer than a fewer months, because nan president has, successful fact, stated his volition to return this level pinch him erstwhile he leaves office."

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Senate Republicans want their workfellow connected nan different broadside of nan aisle to pump their brakes. Senator Mitch McConnell, nan defense subcommittee chair, stated that chat astir nan jumbo jet's early should beryllium shelved until later this twelvemonth erstwhile nan nationalist defense authorization measure is debated. Considering that McConnell is retiring erstwhile his word ends adjacent year, he whitethorn conscionable beryllium kicking nan tin down nan roadworthy to make nan fallout personification else's problem. He said:

"We should beryllium briefed connected nan semipermanent disposition plans earlier rushing to return action specified arsenic this, for which this simply [has] nary urgency. The amendment is intended arsenic a poison pill and governmental theater."

There really isn't immoderate uncertainty astir what Trump wants to do pinch nan Boeing 747-8. The $400 cardinal craft will only temporarily service arsenic Air Force One until Boeing completes long-awaited activity connected a brace of 747-8I planes. Boeing had signed nan woody during Trump's first term, but 2027 is nan earliest imaginable transportation day for nan first plane. Trump wants nan Qatari-gifted pitchy to beryllium transferred to his yet-to-be-designed statesmanlike library aft little than 2 years successful service. The Boeing VC-137C astatine nan Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is nan only erstwhile Air Force One craft to beryllium connected show successful a akin manner. However, nan modified Boeing 707 spent 28 years successful service. What happens to nan Qatari 747 betwixt nan extremity of Trump's 2nd word and nan library's construction? Is this comparatively caller level conscionable going to beryllium connected nan tarmac somewhere?