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Should Members of Congress Be allowed to Fly First Class?

Should Members of Congress be Allowed to Fly First Class?

  • Total voters
    35
MMC said:
Why Are Members of Congress Using Your Money to Fly First-Class?

Last year, Bloomberg Businessweek ran a feature titled, The Pampered World of Congressional Air Travel. The story detailed the cushy and expensive travel bookings Congressman and Senators make on a regular basis with frequent trips back and forth to their home states and districts. The cost to taxpayers is enormous, but could be much less if they'd simply swallow their pride and sit in coach with the rest of us.

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"There is no more pampered class of air traveler than members of Congress.

At Washington’s Reagan National Airport, they have their own special parking spaces—right up close to the terminal—that they don’t even have to pay for. As Bloomberg Television’s Hans Nichols reports, this perk costs the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority $738,760 in foregone revenue.

To members of our fly-in-Tuesday-fly-home-Thursday Congress, these perks are a big deal. Most fly a lot, and many fly first class. They don’t just jet home to their districts. Sometimes, they’re jetting around the world at taxpayer expense ($23,646, to be specific), as Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas did in February. "

"As with all federal spending, Member's Representational Allowance funds are taxpayer dollars. As such, the use of these funds must be exercised with the utmost efficiency and transparency. A loophole currently exists that allows members of Congress to fly first-class at the expense of the taxpayer. Members of Congress are servants of the people and should not be considered a privileged class. 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 $17 trillion such expenditures are especially wasteful," the request states. "If federal restrictions prohibit members of our military from traveling first-class, this same standard should also apply to Members of Congress."

"It's absolutely wasteful and completely unacceptable that Members of Congress - servants of the people - are currently allowed to fly first class using hard-earned taxpayer money.....snip~

Why Are Members of Congress Using Your Money to Fly First-Class? - Katie Pavlich


There you have it.....the loophole our servants always use. That they shouldn't be considered a privileged class. Yet that's exactly what they have become and use, manipulate, connive, and get around. Its high time it stops. They are no better than you or I. Nor any others. Time for our privileged servants to go back to just being servants. Perhaps if we actually started treating them like servants. They would get the message. What say ye?
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Personally I think elected officials in DC should have barracks style housing and chow halls similar to lower enlisted infantry troops in the late 1990s and early 2000s had and they all hop on an armored bus together to an from work and any after COB activities is paid for out of their pocket, if they go to a club,restaurant, fund raiser or some other activity then they pay for their own transportation, salaries of their security and other expenses.
 
Give them a travel allowance and when they spend it they can pay out of their pockets or walk.
 
Wiseone said:
Federal restrictions prohibit members of our military from flying first class?

What?
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On military dime or even just being booked through military travel. If we want to foot the bill for our own ticket, we can fly first class. But we aren't even supposed to use our military charge cards (which are used for travel expenses) to upgrade when offered, even if we pay that difference when the bill comes in.
 
Wiseone said:
Federal restrictions prohibit members of our military from flying first class?

What?
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I think he means that the military can't fly first class when using a government charge credit card.
 
Should members of Congress have to fly in on Sunday night and fly out on Friday night, working a full week like their constituents, especially considering all of their scheduled holidays? Is it wise for Mr. Cantor to cut Congress back to 114 official days this year, 12 less than last year ?
 
Yes, it is a position that should be treated with dignity and they should be able to travel with at least some degree of privacy and personal safety.

It costs millions of dollars for the President to fly anywhere along with the army of people who dance around him praising him. If he can do that, a member of Congress can have an extra 3 inches of seat and not have people with the flu sneezing on her/him from both sides.
 
jamesrage said:
Personally I think elected officials in DC should have barracks style housing and chow halls similar to lower enlisted infantry troops in the late 1990s and early 2000s had and they all hop on an armored bus together to an from work and any after COB activities is paid for out of their pocket, if they go to a club,restaurant, fund raiser or some other activity then they pay for their own transportation, salaries of their security and other expenses.
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Would you have the President also stay in to barracks? Or is this your call for a totally Imperial President in relation to Congress?
 
MMC said:
Well, Campaigning they should have to up their own Money.....although truthfully just to do so from the Office they have in their State, especially when it comes to endorsing. No need to waste taxpayer money to run out to California to say he supports someone in his party. Most into politics know and those who are not.....don't care if so and so says I am endorsing whoever.
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Before cutting military and retired benefits, especially on NCOs forced onto food stamps, Congress needs to cut in their own backyards as our Founding Fathers would. Take space-available flights, down-size salaries, pensions and benefits, and then means-test RICH Officers .
 
Why is the President not on the list?

Why isn't the poll "Should the President and members of Congress be required to fly coach?"

It would appear that, so far, nearly everyone on this thread want the titles to changed to "Emperor Obama" and "his subordinate non-management employees in Congress."
 
sawdust said:
Give them a travel allowance and when they spend it they can pay out of their pockets or walk.
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Heya SD. :2wave: They already have one.

The request reads in part: “Efficient travel to and from congressional districts contributes to effective executing on the constitutional and official duties of members of Congress. As with all federal spending, Member’s Representational Allowance funds are taxpayer dollars. As such, the use of these funds must be exercised with the utmost efficiency and transparency. A loophole currently exists that allows members of Congress to fly first-class at the expense of the taxpayer.”

Gosar believes the same federal restrictions that ban the military from first-class travel should apply to Congress as well and hopes the Fiscal Year 2015 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act will reflect this, encouraging Congress to be “judicious in the travel and expenses that are paid for with federal funds.”

Gosar has submitted several other requests this week, all aimed at cutting wasteful spending. In a press release Friday, Gosar is quoted as saying, “One of my top priorities is eliminating waste, fraud and abuse within the bloated federal bureaucracy.”.....snip


Read more: Rep. Gosar, R-Ariz., submits request to prohibit Congress flying first class - UPI.com
 
jamesrage said:
Personally I think elected officials in DC should have barracks style housing and chow halls similar to lower enlisted infantry troops in the late 1990s and early 2000s had and they all hop on an armored bus together to an from work and any after COB activities is paid for out of their pocket, if they go to a club,restaurant, fund raiser or some other activity then they pay for their own transportation, salaries of their security and other expenses.
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Heya JR. :2wave: I agree with you on that one. They could have dormitories and a chow hall. Pay a portion for their space. Just like College Kids. Half of them need to be Educated anyways.....so if they are not a First timer or Junior Senator. They get the beginners rate. Anyone making a Career out of it and living off Government their Whole life. Then should be throwing up some Boku dollars to the Government for having the American people Kissing their ass.

Also to include their Edumacation by Reality and the Country.
 
joko104 said:
Why is the President not on the list?

Why isn't the poll "Should the President and members of Congress be required to fly coach?"

It would appear that, so far, nearly everyone on this thread want the titles to changed to "Emperor Obama" and "his subordinate non-management employees in Congress."
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I don't think the President travels often (if ever) by commercial flights due to security concerns and it would be different if Congress members were traveling via some government means that was more private, like Air Force One and their reason was security concerns. But if they are traveling like the rest of us, on commercial flights then there is no valid security concern they can make in why they should be in first class vice coach since nothing about first class makes a passenger on an airliner safer.
 
joko104 said:
Why is the President not on the list?

Why isn't the poll "Should the President and members of Congress be required to fly coach?"

It would appear that, so far, nearly everyone on this thread want the titles to changed to "Emperor Obama" and "his subordinate non-management employees in Congress."
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Please start another thread on your never-ending bashing of the President. You could even include his family and just pick on DIMS, since Jackie Kennedy started Air Force One as we know it .
 
Anyone got pics of what First Class look like? So that we can see what Our Servants are experiencing. Here is one from a Boeing 747.

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Objective Voice said:
Yep! I've known this for quite some time since back in the days when I was on active duty. It's always pissed me off that members of Congress can fly 1st-Class but military personnel could not even if we paid for it and showed our military ID. The only way we can get around it is not to show such identification, but should something go down on the plane and it's discovered that you are an active duty servicemember in 1st-class, watch out...NJP or court-martial could ensue.

Congressmen should fly 1st-Class only if they pay for it. Pay for the upgrade in seating assignment just like everybody else.
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I can't find any legitimate restriction on us ever flying first class if we pay for it with our money (now, this does mean though not being able to claim that ticket when turning in travel expense orders either even if you paid for it). You can face NJP or court-martial for trying to get the government to pay for it or for putting it on your government charge card, but not for simply being there. Many airlines have given free upgrades to militay members in uniform to first class on occasion. I have yet to see someone even punished for that (and that would at least be an iffy since it could be seen as a "gift" to a federal employee).
 
First class is for suckers. Real men climb on board ****faced and pass out.
 
American Airlines and their First Class.

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Snack Tray.....Dinner.

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AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 777-300ER INAUGURAL

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American Eagle Cabin.

american-airlines-boeing-777-300er-inaugural-first-class-2013-8_26712.jpg
 
There should be limits on their expense accounts. That being said, it should be noted that, as it is with their salaries, they, themselves, are the only ones who get to vote on it.
 
Objective Voice said:
Yep! I've known this for quite some time since back in the days when I was on active duty. It's always pissed me off that members of Congress can fly 1st-Class but military personnel could not even if we paid for it and showed our military ID. The only way we can get around it is not to show such identification, but should something go down on the plane and it's discovered that you are an active duty servicemember in 1st-class, watch out...NJP or court-martial could ensue.

Congressmen should fly 1st-Class only if they pay for it. Pay for the upgrade in seating assignment just like everybody else.
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Interesting - because I've flown 1st class and so has my husband on just about every military-paid for flight we've ever taken.

I've never been the one to purchase our own tickets - that's always handled by someone else.
 
I'm not a populist, so I don't feel the need to have them be like us when they aren't, because "we're paying for it." I'll let the rest of you folks get in a hissy fit about such symbolic equalizers.
 
Jetboogieman said:
Recently we had a conference up here where alot of municipal workers, many of them on the Municipal dime were getting the best rooms we had at significant price increase and still had the nerve to complain about certain things that were free to begin with, I was really tempted to either call them out on it on the spot or contact their local newspaper.

It was downright disgraceful.

Any government employee who uses taxpayer money should get the most basic of the basic required to get through whatever it is. Now I also don't believe that necessarily means dangerous motel in Meth Town or a drunk pilot in a Cessna... wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
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If it's an official expense they can fly coach, if they want a first class upgrade they should pay for it out of pocket, and not the difference either. It should be an either or proposition, either we pay for coach or they pay for first class.
 
Objective Voice said:
Yep! I've known this for quite some time since back in the days when I was on active duty. It's always pissed me off that members of Congress can fly 1st-Class but military personnel could not even if we paid for it and showed our military ID. The only way we can get around it is not to show such identification, but should something go down on the plane and it's discovered that you are an active duty servicemember in 1st-class, watch out...NJP or court-martial could ensue.

Congressmen should fly 1st-Class only if they pay for it. Pay for the upgrade in seating assignment just like everybody else.
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I didn't know there was a prohibition for military. I remember when the wars first started there was a story about a businessman in first class who noticed soldiers in uniform waiting to board in the coach queue and he asked the flight crew to trade his place with one of them, others were touched and did the same until the entire group was seated in first class. Is the law newer? Or did those generous folks break a long standing law?
 
Fiddytree said:
I'm not a populist, so I don't feel the need to have them be like us when they aren't, because "we're paying for it." I'll let the rest of you folks get in a hissy fit about such symbolic equalizers.
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It's not the symbolism, it's the money. Politicians always force more taxes to pay for their pet projects, retirements, etc. and this is just another slap in the face.
 
BigRedChief said:
This is simple. The taxpayer pays for coach. The congressman wants to fly first class, they pay the difference out of their own pocket.
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I don't even think the difference is enough. If taxpayer funded coach is "beneath" these politicians they can pay 100% of a first class ticket.
 
Fiddytree said:
I'm not a populist, so I don't feel the need to have them be like us when they aren't, because "we're paying for it." I'll let the rest of you folks get in a hissy fit about such symbolic equalizers.
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Thanks Fiddy.....could you please pass the Grey Poupon. :mrgreen:
 
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