Tammy Duckworth Grills Air Force Officials On 'Significant' Cost To Retrofit Trump's Gifted 747

Forbes Breaking News

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) spoke about the cost to retrofit a gifted 747 that President Trump accepted from the Qataris to meet Air Force One standards.

Transcript

00:00Senate Visitor Center room 217 at 1225 and so people should should be advised

00:11and staff members should be advised. Senator Visitor Center 217 1225.

00:17Senator Duckworth. Thank you Mr. Chairman and thank you to our witnesses for being

00:22here today. Senator Hirono touched on this Qatari gift plane and I wanted to

00:29follow up on it. Look the bipartisan concern expressed in the lead up to and

00:33during today's hearing simply underscores how bizarre and disturbing it was to watch

00:38President Trump proudly defend his decision to create at the very least the

00:43pathetic appearance that our commander-in-chief can be bought by an ally of

00:46Iran and Hamas. All for the price of the Qatari royal family's luxury so-called

00:52palace in the sky. And that doesn't even address the outrageous reality that far

00:56from saving money this unconstitutional action will not only cost our nation

01:00its dignity but it will force taxpayers to waste over a billion dollars in

01:05taxpayer dollars to overhaul this particular aircraft when we currently

01:09have not one but two fully operational and fully capable Air Force One aircraft.

01:14Secretary Mink I wrote a letter to you last week about the very real operational

01:19security risks involved in President Trump's unconstitutional proposal to accept a

01:24four hundred million dollar luxury aircraft from the Qatari royal family and

01:28retrofitted to service Air Force One. And I look forward to hearing from you and

01:33hearing your thorough response about what the Air Force has been directed to do to

01:37support this but I have several questions for you here today. As you know

01:41any platform used for presidential travel must be fully secure survivable and and

01:46this is the important part capable of supporting uninterrupted command and

01:49control under the most demanding conditions including in the event of a

01:53nuclear crisis. This isn't just about ensuring presidential protection though

01:57that is very important. This is about our national security and protecting all

02:01Americans from the dangers posed if the president's sensitive communications are

02:06intercepted or if he is out of contact God forbid with our nation's military

02:10during a crisis. Secretary Mink, General Alvin, do you concur that the upgrades

02:14required for a foreign provided plane to meet the operational security standards of Air Force One

02:19would be significant? Senator, thanks for the question. So the the Secretary of

02:26Defense has directed the Air Force to basically start planning to modify the

02:30aircraft. We are postured to do that. That's not my question. My question is, will you concur?

02:34We will look at all of those. Will you concur be significant? Well we will have to look at all of those issues you just

02:39addressed in those modifications, Senator. General Alvin, would you say that to upgrade a

02:44foreign aircraft to Air Force One standards would require significant

02:48modifications? I align myself with with the Secretary's opinion that we will be

02:55postured to make the modifications necessary. That's not my question. My

03:00question is, do you concur that it would take significant modifications to take a

03:03civilian 747 upgraded to US one to Air Force One standards? So Senator that the any

03:13civilian aircraft will take significant modifications to do so. And as I said,

03:18we're we're asked based on the Secretary's direction, we are postured and we're off

03:21looking at that right now what it's going to take for that particular aircraft, right?

03:24All right. If the President Trump insists on converting this plane to a

03:28hardened Air Force One before 2029, I worry about the pressures you may be under to cut

03:33corners on operational security. I've already seen concerning press reports that

03:37requirements have been loosened for construction of two other Boeing 747-8s,

03:41intended to modernize the Air Force One fleet that taxpayers have already been

03:46paying for to accelerate this delivery. Can I have your commitment, Mr. Secretary,

03:50that you will strongly advise the President against cutting any corners or

03:54reducing any requirements on operational security standards for any aircraft to be

03:58used as Air Force One? So Senator, I'm unaware of any any any requirements. Now I will demand the job

04:06two days, but I'm unaware of any requirement changes to the current to the current program. And yes,

04:12we will as we lay out the plan, we will make sure that we do as necessary to cure to ensure security of the aircraft, right?

04:18Do I have your commitment that you were advised the President not to reduce any requirements that will

04:25lower operational security for any aircraft to be used as Air Force One? Yeah, Senator, I will be quite clear

04:33and discuss that with the Secretary, up to the President, if necessary, if we feel there's any threats that that we are unable to address.

04:41If the President insists on this dangerous course of action, I urge you not to let this distraction, and it is a distraction,

04:48divert resources that would otherwise support delivering the two aircraft already under contract and paid for by American taxpayers

04:54in a manner consistent with our critical security standards to protect Air Force One from compromise, disruption, or attack.

05:00Thank you. I yield back, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Senator. Senator Schmidt.

05:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would note, though, by the way that Joe Biden does it.

05:09Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would note, though, by the way that Joe Biden does it.

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