News

Cheaper private jet flights for senators

Government groups are blasting the Federal Election Commission for approving a new rule that allows US senators to travel via private jets at discounted prices.

According to government watchdogs, the approval of the rule goes against the 2007 congressional ethics law, which sought to end the trend of lawmakers using private jets that are sponsored by donors and commercial companies.

The law required that senators pay more expensive charter rates whenever they use corporate and private jets. However, the new rule contests this.

Under the newly approved rule, senators can pay lower commercial fares whenever they are travelling in behalf of a political party or a political action committee controlled by the implicated senator.

Representative from various government groups are lobbying against the rule, because it “floats” the current ethics law.

As of press time, there has not been any published response from the Federal Election Commission.