Van Hollen Joins Murphy, Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Block Trump from Taking Qatari Jet with Him When He Leaves Office

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), in introducing legislation to block President Trump from taking the luxury jumbo jet gifted by the Qatari government with him for his own personal use after he leaves office. The Luxury Jet Ethics and Transparency Act would bar Trump from transferring the jet away from the U.S. Air Force to his personal control - in line with the brazenly corrupt plan he, his administration, and his family cling to. The bill would also require an independent GAO review of the cost of the jet's retrofit and the potential conflicts of interest and national security impacts of the president accepting a $400 million plane from a foreign country.

"We cannot allow this brazen corruption to stand. American foreign policy decisions must be made based on the interests of our national security - not based on the highest bidder. Since the President wouldn't reject the gift of a $400 million luxury jet, Congress must step in and prohibit Trump from transferring the jet away from the U.S. Air Force to his own personal control," said Senator Van Hollen.

"It's hard to decide what's worse: accepting a $400 million bribe from a foreign government or spending a billion dollars in American taxpayer money to put gold plating on that bribe," said Senator Murphy. "For Donald Trump, it's not enough to sell our national security to enrich himself. He also has to steal from American taxpayers."

"Jumbo jet, jumbo corruption," said Senator Markey. "So let's 86 this 747 transfer to Trump after he leaves office, and pass the Luxury Jet Ethics and Transparency Act."

"This President and his family are the most corrupt we've ever seen in the White House. And we know he will be corrupt as the day is long-planes, pardons, falsifying business records, and the list goes on. It is my responsibility, and the responsibility of Congress, to bar this President from transferring his new Qatari jet from the U.S. Air Force to his personal control. We need to take every possible step to stop this President from his own corruption. Our country deserves better," said Senator Alsobrooks.

"We cannot allow this brazen corruption to stand. American foreign policy decisions must be made based on the interests of our national security - not based on the highest bidder. Since the President wouldn't reject the gift of a $400 million luxury jet, Congress must step in and prohibit Trump from transferring the jet away from the U.S. Air Force to his own personal control," said Senator Van Hollen.

"Donald Trump has repeatedly used the Presidency to enrich himself and leave taxpayers with the bill-and it has to stop," said Senator Duckworth. "Accepting a foreign jet was a mistake from the start and a tremendous waste of resources. Trump burned through nearly half a billion taxpayer dollars, only to partially retrofit his Qatari-gifted 747 that is still less safe than the old Air Force One. Taxpayers deserve a guarantee that their money didn't just go toward bankrolling needless upgrades for yet another private jet in this Grifter-in-Chief's personal collection."

"Donald Trump and his regime are defined by rampant corruption, treating the presidency as a get-rich-quick scheme at the expense of the American people. Trump never should have been able to accept a $400 million gift from another country. Under no circumstances should he be able to keep a luxury jet, whose upgrades and retrofitting cost millions of taxpayer dollars, for his personal use. This common-sense legislation will ensure he cannot," said Senator Hirono.

"President Trump continues to sell access and influence to the highest bidders. Without action, we stamp a Congressional seal of approval on this corruption," said Senator Merkley. "We need the Luxury Jet Ethics and Transparency Act because Americans deserve answers and accountability for the Trump Administration's misuse of taxpayer funds for Trump's luxury jumbo jet."

This month, Senators Van Hollen and Murphy sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Air Force and a key government contractor to demand basic details about the Qatari jet's costs to taxpayers, national security risks, and the questionable process the Trump administration pursued to upgrade the plane.

Full text of the bill is available here.