Lawmakers press for ban on first-class travel

A group of bipartisan lawmakers is urging the House Appropriations Committee to ban members of Congress from using taxpayer funds for first-class airfare.

In a letter to members of the House Appropriations Committee, eight House lawmakers urged a prohibition on first-class travel in this year’s spending bill for Capitol Hill operations.

{mosads}”Members of Congress are public servants of the people and shouldn’t be considered a privileged class. As such, we must be judicious in the travel expenses that are paid for with federal funds,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Luxury airfare accommodations utilizing taxpayer monies would seem inappropriate in any fiscal climate, but at a time of soaring deficits and with a federal debt in excess of $18 trillion, such expenditures are especially wasteful,” they added.

The letter’s eight signatories were Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), Rod Blum (R-Iowa), Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) and Gwen Graham (D-Fla.). 

Under their request, the legislative branch appropriations bill for the new fiscal year starting in October would include language prohibiting the use of funds from members’ representational allowances toward first-class airfare. 

However, the proposal would allow exceptions for accommodating disabilities or other medical necessities.

The idea of lawmakers prohibiting first-class travel for themselves isn’t new. Just last week, Graham introduced a bill to prohibit members of Congress from using federal funds for first-class airplane tickets.

Similar legislation, such as the “If Our Military Has to Fly Coach Then So Should Congress Act,” emerged last year but never reached the House floor for consideration.