Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Trump Administration Using Taxpayer Funds To Buy Luxury Jets For Secretary Kristi Noem While The American Economy Suffers

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Kristi Noem and the Trump administration’s blatant misuse of approximately $172 million taxpayer dollars in order to pay for multiple private, luxury jets while the American people suffer high costs. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Republicans like to talk about eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Well, they can start by looking at Secretary Kristi Noem’s expense report.

This weekend, the New York Times reported that the Department of Homeland Security has purchased not one but two private jets – luxury jets – for Kristi Noem, to the tune of $172 million in taxpayer dollars. The administration says these are G700 aircraft – that’s one of the biggest private planes there is. And they say they were purchased for safety reasons.

Kristi Noem and the administration say these G700 aircrafts were purchased for safety reasons. That’s like saying you bought a Rolls Royce to get good seatbelts. This just goes to show you how much contempt this administration has for people struggling to make ends meet.

Let’s be very clear: at a time that Americans are paying more for groceries, falling behind on car payments, and seeing their electricity go up and up, and up, Secretary Noem thinks it’s a good use of taxpayer dollars to buy two jets known for having “the most spacious cabin in the industry.”

What ever happened to the Kristi Noem who said any expense at DHS over $100,000 needed her personal approval? Apparently, she wanted more legroom for flying.

This would all be perhaps a little more amusing if it wasn’t so insulting to the American people. Because while Donald Trump’s cabinet secretaries get their private jets, the American people are getting higher healthcare premiums, higher grocery costs, and a worsening job market.

Let me just show this chart with a list of awful headlines about the economy from just the last week or so.

From NBC: “U.S. consumers bearing more than half the cost of tariffs so far, Goldman Sachs says.”

From the Wall Street Journal: “Grocery Prices Keep Rising, Frustrated Consumers are trying to Adapt.”

From MarketWatch: “High inflation and lack of jobs leave Americans frustrated with the economy.”

So, let me get this straight: Americans pay 90% of the cost of Donald Trump’s tariffs, pay more for groceries, they see fewer jobs, and now the American people have to pay for two top-tier private, luxury jets for Kristi Noem.

If you want to know how much contempt Donald Trump has, how much contempt his MAGA administration has for working people, look no further than Kristi Noem’s luxury jets.

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