Pelosi Criticized For Seeking Free Air Travel For Children

Nancy Pelosi is involved in another controversy over transportation on government planes. The Hill reports, “Pentagon officials are bracing for a fight with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over her desire to allow lawmakers’ adult children to tag along on taxpayer-funded travel for free.”

There may be some logic to her argument that adult children might fill in for a  spouse who cannot make a trip, but at risk of once again being attacked for my “lack of leftist purity” in criticizing a Democrat, this just does not pass the smell test. When you take control of Congress running against the “culture of corruption” it is smartest to remain squeaky clean should you win. It also appears inconsistent to protest free travel on corporate jets but expect to receive free travel from the taxpayers. Pelosi has already been criticized by Public Citizen for this:

“One of the things she was praised for when she came in was her sweeping reforms on gifts and travel,” said Craig Holman of Public Citizen. “It is very disheartening if she is, in fact, backsliding on this.”

Public Citizen filed a complaint with the IRS last year, saying that family members who receive free travel by accompanying lawmakers should pay taxes on the travel’s value. The complaint focused on privately sponsored travel, but Holman said it should apply to taxpayer-funded travel as well.

Leave a comment