Pelosi’s High Flying Desire Blasted
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans on Wednesday assailed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s request for access to an Air Force transport plane as an extravagance, though former Speaker Dennis Hastert flew in a military jet as well.
Republicans are taking issue with the size of the plane. Mrs, Pelosi and the Defense Department are discussing letting her fly in a C-32 plane, a military version of the Boeing 757-200.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Pentagon agreed to provide the House speaker, who is second in the line of presidential succession, with a military plane for added security during trips back home.
Mr. Hastert, an Illinois Republican, flew in a small commuter-sized jet. Mrs. Pelosi and her aides say that because her congressional district is in California, her security would require a larger plane that can fly coast to coast without refueling.
“It’s not a question of size, it’s a question of distance,” Mrs. Pelosi said Wednesday. “We want an aircraft that can reach California.”
Representative. Adam Putnam of Florida, the No. 3 Republican leader, said he supported the tradition of House speakers having access to secure airplanes with secure communications in the post-9/11 era, because of their spot in the presidential line of succession.
But he called Mrs. Pelosi’s desire for a large transport “an extravagance of power that the taxpayers won’t swallow.”
Some Republicans have argued that Pelosi could use the larger plane to offer trips to top political donors as a reward for their contributions.
“It’s important we see what the specific request was,” Putnam said.
Asked about the flap, White House spokesman Tony Snow on Wednesday noted that after the 2001 suicide hijackings the Pentagon, with White House consent, agreed to provide military transport to the speaker of the House.
“What is going on is that the Department of Defense is going through its rules and regulations and having conversations with the speaker about it,” he said. “So Speaker Hastert had access to military aircraft and Speaker Pelosi will, too.”
