Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to place a blanket hold on all Justice Department political nominees, according to his office, as he seeks answers related to the Trump administration’s plans to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to use as Air Force One. A source familiar with the matter said the New York Democrat intends to keep the hold in place until his office gets answers to a litany of questions about the Boeing 747-8 jet President Donald Trump has said the Defense Department plans to accept as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE.” Schumer’s hold would force the GOP to burn Senate floor time to overcome the hold, and a simple majority vote could overcome the blockade. Several Republican senators on Monday expressed misgivings about Trump’s plans, noting the potential for security and legal risks. Schumer’s plans come as ethics experts have raised concerns about the Trump administration’s potential move and questioned whether accepting the plane will violate the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which prohibits a president from receiving an “emolument” or profit from any “King, Prince, or foreign state” unless Congress consents. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the legal details on accepting the jet, which would be retrofitted and used as Air Force One, are “still being worked out.” “Any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law,” she added. Democrats have slammed the plan, with Schumer posting on social media Sunday: “It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with legroom.” While some in the president’s party defended the move, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a member of the Senate GOP leadership team, said Trump and the White House “need to look at the constitutionality” of the issue. “I’d be checking for bugs is what I’d be checking for,” Capito said. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri argued that it “would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America.” CNN’s Manu Raju, Ted Barrett and Alison Main contributed to this report.
Schumer to place hold on Justice Department political nominees over Qatari plane
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to place a blanket hold on all Justice Department political nominees, according to his office, as he seeks answers related to the Trump administration’s plans to accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family to use as Air Force One. A source familiar with the matter said the New York Democrat intends to keep the hold in place until his office gets answers to a litany of questions about the Boeing 747-8 jet President Donald Trump has said the Defense Department plans to accept as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE.” Schumer’s hold would force the GOP to burn Senate floor time to overcome the hold, and a simple majority vote could overcome the blockade. Several Republican senators on Monday expressed misgivings about Trump’s plans, noting the potential for security and legal risks. Schumer’s plans come as ethics experts have raised concerns about the Trump administration’s potential move and questioned whether accepting the plane will violate the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which prohibits a president from receiving an “emolument” or profit from any “King, Prince, or foreign state” unless Congress consents. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the legal details on accepting the jet, which would be retrofitted and used as Air Force One, are “still being worked out.” “Any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law,” she added. Democrats have slammed the plan, with Schumer posting on social media Sunday: “It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with legroom.” While some in the president’s party defended the move, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a member of the Senate GOP leadership team, said Trump and the White House “need to look at the constitutionality” of the issue. “I’d be checking for bugs is what I’d be checking for,” Capito said. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri argued that it “would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America.” CNN’s Manu Raju, Ted Barrett and Alison Main contributed to this report.
