This week, Rep. Pete Aguilar introduced H.R. 3974, the Justifiable and Efficient Transportation Substitutes (JETS) Act.  This bill prohibits most cabinet officials from using taxpayer money for official travel on private planes until a system is developed to provide the necessary oversight and accountability for private air travel. The bill also includes a public disclosure provision, allowing the American public to track exactly how their tax dollars are being spent. The bill was introduced in the wake of revelations that Trump Administration officials have been regularly misusing taxpayer money to charter private flights, including for nonofficial business.

“To think that a cabinet official would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on private jets, and then stick taxpayers with the bill, is appalling,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “This bill is about demanding accountability from this administration. The president’s cabinet has made it clear that they intend to travel around the country by private jet, and we need a system that provides a check on this kind of reckless spending.”

The JETS Act establishes a moratorium on the use of taxpayer funds for private jet travel by cabinet officials until the president issues guidelines for the use of private jets. The bill provides exclusions for national security officials such as the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence.