Senate Republicans Block Schumer’s Bid to Ground Qatar Jet
President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One will remain in service for now after Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to stop taxpayer money from being used to upgrade the aircraft.
The Boeing 747-8 was donated by Qatar and unveiled by the White House as the newest addition to the presidential fleet. But the aircraft has drawn criticism over its cost, security features, and future use as the president’s primary plane.
The aircraft already carries an estimated base value of $400 million. Upgrading it to meet the security standards of the existing Air Force One fleet could cost as much as $1 billion, according to the administration’s estimate.
- Aircraft: A Boeing 747-8 previously owned by Qatar.
- Upgrade estimate: Up to $1 billion.
- Expected downtime: About one month for additional work.
Schumer attacked the plan during remarks on the Senate floor. “The luxury jet may have come wrapped in a bow for Donald Trump, but it came with a massive price tag for the American people,” Schumer said. “Trump is asking taxpayers to fork over an estimated $1 billion to retrofit, and max out his flying palace, so it can meet the security standards of the existing Air Force One fleet.”
“That, of course, we already paid for,” he continued. “Americans can’t afford gas, can’t afford groceries, can’t afford their electric bill. But Trump thinks they can afford to fly him in style.”
Schumer tried to force a vote on the Presidential Airlift Security Act. The bill would have barred Department of War funds from being used to purchase, modify, restore, or maintain an aircraft previously owned by a foreign government.
The push came after Trump returned to the United States from Turkey on a different aircraft. The Secret Service reportedly raised concerns that the Qatari jet still lacked certain security upgrades, including countermeasures against heat-seeking missiles.
When reporters asked Trump why those deterrence systems were not visible on the plane, he said the aircraft “has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the aircraft was safe for presidential travel but still needed additional enhancements. “During that time, the president will fly on the old Air Force One,” she said.
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., blocked Schumer’s effort. She argued that the bill was written too broadly and could interfere with another critical presidential aircraft: the Survivable Air Operations Center, or SAOC.
“Unfortunately, this legislation would also apply to a different aircraft, the Survivable Air Operations Center aircraft, or SAOC,” Fischer said. “Those aircraft were actually purchased from Korean Air. So this legislation would hamper a crucial program that ensures presidential safety in the event of a nuclear war.”
Fischer said the SAOC is central to the nation’s Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications structure, known as NC3. She warned that Schumer’s proposal could weaken the aircraft’s role in a national emergency.
“This is the plane that will command and control our nuclear weapons on America’s worst day. We cannot play these political games with the NC three,” Fischer said.
For now, the Qatar-donated jet remains on track for further upgrades, while the older Air Force One is expected to handle presidential travel during the retrofit period.