Senate GOP Blocks Schumer Legislation Over Trump’s Qatari Jet Deal
(MENAFN) Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked legislation introduced by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that sought to challenge President Donald Trump’s agreement with Qatar involving a luxury aircraft gifted to serve as the future Air Force One.
"With the news that Trump formally accepted the Qatari jet: I took to the Senate floor to pass my bill to block DoD from spending a single penny on a foreign Air Force One," Schumer shared on X, referencing the Department of Defense.
"It’s a bribe. It’s a national security threat. But Republicans stood with Trump and blocked my bill," he continued.
Senator Roger Marshall objected to the passage of the Presidential Airlift Security Act, which aimed to ban the Pentagon from allocating any resources toward acquiring, altering, refurbishing, or maintaining aircraft previously owned by foreign states or their officials for presidential transport.
This legislative effort followed Trump’s announcement during a recent trip to the Middle East that he would accept the Boeing 747-8 jet to become the next Air Force One.
The Department of Defense confirmed on Wednesday that the aircraft had officially been accepted.
"The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations," stated Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. "The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States."
The donation of the plane—valued at approximately $400 million—has sparked bipartisan concerns regarding its ethical and legal implications.
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