Politics
Democrats Question Why Kristi Noem Wants a $50M Jet From Coast Guard Budget
By Jake Beardslee · May 31, 2025
Two House Democrats are raising concerns over a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget request that includes $50 million for a new Gulfstream jet intended for Secretary Kristi Noem’s use. The proposed aircraft purchase, listed under the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) budget, has prompted criticism that it could divert critical funds from the agency’s aging operational fleet, according to The Washington Post.
Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), both members of the House Homeland Security Committee, penned a letter Friday to Noem questioning the necessity and timing of the request. “Reports indicate this jet would cost $50 million and replace one of the two Gulfstream jets already at your disposal,” they wrote. “Funding the acquisition of this new jet would come at the cost of other USCG investments, including sorely needed modernization of the USCG’s aging aircraft fleet used by service members for search and rescue and other critical missions.”
They noted that many Coast Guard aircraft still in use date back to the 1980s and 1990s, while the current Gulfstream used for executive travel was purchased in 2002. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report cited in the letter found the agency has struggled to obtain parts for helicopters no longer in production.
The letter also requests DHS provide a flight log for Noem’s use of the existing jets, as well as a list of USCG aircraft with “service life expiration dates” that precede the Gulfstreams.
DHS has previously defended the need for replacement. “The current CG-101 G550 is over twenty years old, outside of Gulfstream’s service life, and well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs. “This is a matter of safety… Coast Guard’s aircraft are [also] well beyond their service life and safe operational usage.”
The controversy surfaced during a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing, where Coast Guard Adm. Kevin Lunday was questioned about the inclusion of the jet in the fiscal 2025 budget. “I was horrified last Friday when we received a last-minute addition to your spend plan… a new $50 million Gulfstream 5 for Secretary Noem’s personal travel coming from the Coast Guard budget,” said Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Subcommittee. Lunday responded that the current aircraft is “approaching obsolescence,” with outdated avionics and unreliable communications.
Thompson and McIver likened the request to President Trump’s attempt to secure a $400 million jet from Qatar for personal use. “That does not mean members of his Cabinet must follow suit,” they wrote. “Your desire to travel in luxury should not eclipse the need for USCG service members to fly safely and conduct lifesaving missions.”