1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to investigate and prevent the reported diversion of nearly $1 billion from the Department of Defense's Sentinel nuclear missile program to retrofit a $400 million Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar for use as Air Force One. This reallocation undermines our national security, violates appropriations law, and circumvents Congressional budget authority. The Sentinel program is essential to replacing our outdated intercontinental ballistic missile system. After going massively over budget, federal law required the Pentagon to prove the program's necessity to national security and commit to better expense management. Diverting nearly $1 billion from this critical deterrence capability directly contradicts these safeguards and weakens our defense posture at a time of growing global threats. The U.S. Air Force currently operates two 747 jets as Air Force One, and Congress authorized two replacement aircraft in 2018 that will be completed in the next two years. There is no legitimate need for a third aircraft that would serve only briefly, if at all, before being transferred to the Trump Presidential Library, effectively using taxpayer funds to subsidize a private donation. Congress must not allocate funding for retrofitting this ‘donation.’ The DoD's acceptance of the Qatari aircraft and repurposing of nuclear modernization funds appears to violate the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from incurring obligations in advance of appropriations. Congress holds the power of the purse. I urge you to ensure that nuclear modernization funding remains dedicated to its intended purpose without interference or diversion, and to demand full accountability for this reported misuse of appropriated funds. Our national security depends on maintaining these critical defense programs.