Schumer fields bill in bid to scuttle Trump's Qatar plane plans

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer D-N Y wants to put the kibosh on President Donald Trump's plan for the U S military to accept a Boeing airplane from Qatar to be used as Air Force One The Democratic lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prohibit utilizing Defense Department funding to procure modify restore or maintain an aircraft for presidential flight if that aircraft was previously owned by a foreign executive foreign government-controlled entity or foreign establishment representative None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal year or fiscal year for the Department of Defense may be made available for the procurement modification restoration or maintenance of an aircraft previously owned by a foreign regime an entity controlled by a foreign ruling body or a representative of a foreign authorities for the purposes of providing presidential airlift options the text of the measure reads ESPIONAGE CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS ABOUND FROM TRUMP DETRACTORS ALLIES OVER QATARI JET OFFERFox News Digital reached out to the White House to request comment on Tuesday morning but did not without delay receive a response Donald Trump has shown time and again he will sell out the American people and the Presidency if it means filling his own pockets Schumer stated according to a press release Not only would it take billions of taxpayer dollars to even attempt to retrofit and secure this plane but there s absolutely no amount of modifications that can guarantee it will be secure It is now on the Senate to prioritize our national precaution protect Americans and ensure that a foreign-owned plane never gets the call sign Air Force One QATAR DUMPED BILLIONS INTO US SCHOOLS OVER LAST FOUR DECADES REPORTThe proposal stands little chance of passage Even if it were to clear both chambers of Congress where Republicans hold the majorities the president could veto the measure in which event passage would require enough votes to surmount a presidential veto The Boeing is being given to the United States Air Force Department of Defense NOT TO ME It is a gift from a Nation Qatar that we have successfully defended for multiple years It will be used by our Administration as a temporary Air Force One until such time as our new Boeings which are very late on delivery arrive President Trump declared in a Truth Social post last week QATAR OFFERS TRUMP JUMBO JET TO SERVE AS AIR FORCE ONE Why should our military and therefore our taxpayers be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done This big savings will be spent instead to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country Thank you for your attention to this matter Trump added Trump indicated last week that he does not plan to fly in the plane after leaving office but that the aircraft would be placed in his presidential library