New Bipartisan House Bill Calls on Congress to Fly Coach, Just Like the Military.

WHAT! A BILL GOING THRU CONGRESS THAT WILL SAVE MONEY. THAT'S A FIRST. DON'T GET TO EXCITED, THEIR JUST THROWING YOU A BONE. EVERY ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE THEY DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO JUST SAY "HEY WE DID THIS" BUT THIS IS ONLY A DIME IN SAVINGS TOWARDS OUR TRILLION DOLLAR DEBT.


There’s a new bill gaining traction in Congress, the self-explanatory “If Our Military Has to Fly Coach Then so Should Congress Act” has support from both sides of the party line, and is making headlines because of it’s appeal to common sense as well as dollars and cents. The bill would make it illegal for politicians to use taxpayer dollars towards flying first class on commercial airlines, a move that many agree restores some of the service in the title of public servant.

The bill follows an earlier proposal introduced by Democratic Representative Tammy Duckworth from Illinois which would prevent lawmakers from using their Congressional allowances to fly first class. Members of Congress are given, on average, about $1 million dollars in allowance.
A Republican Representative from Arizona, Paul Gosar, said: “It’s a very simple bill. At a time of massive deficits and with a national debt in excess of $17 trillion, members of Congress should not be using taxpayers’ hard-earned money to buy luxury airline seats.”

Many of our Congressmen and Senators fly first class wherever they go, but this bill in Washington could put a stop to that, and actually save a great deal of money, based on estimates using current first class ticket pricing information. A first-class, round-trip airline ticket from Washington D.C. to Phoenix, AZ for example, can range anywhere from $1300 to $2000 per a flight, a heavy drag on taxpayer pockets for a completely inessential luxury item that adds up very quickly.
Last year, a Washington Times inquiry found Congress spends between $6 million and $10 million each year on overseas trips alone, which doesn’t include the transportation lawmakers take between Washington and their home districts. Nor does it include privately funded gift trips members often receive from advocacy groups.

Many government employees, including military officers and other public servants that put their lives in harms way, are prohibited from flying in first class while on business. This bi-partisan bill “H.R. 4632″ sets the same limits on congressional trips that govern most other government travel: Members and their staff cannot use taxpayer funds to buy first-class tickets unless they need to accommodate a disability or other medical need.
“As representatives of the American people, we in Congress have a responsibility to wisely use the people’s money,” said Rep. Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican, in a statement. “Members of the House and Senate should never secure their own luxury travel at taxpayer expense, but they especially should not do so when our nation is buried $17 trillion deep in debt.”

Other co-sponsors include Representative John Barrow, a Georgia Democrat, and North Carolina Republican Representative Walter Jones,  who also co-sponsored the bill.