WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats in Congress on Saturday criticized the Trump administration’s decision to buy two Gulfstream G700 jets for $172 million during the current government shutdown that will be used by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other top leaders.

The U.S. Coast Guard entered into a sole-source contract on Friday, according to a government contracting website. The aircraft will be used for the Coast Guard’s fleet of long-range command control aircraft.

DHS said in a statement Friday night that the new planes are necessary because it currently relies on a Gulfstream CG-101 G550 aircraft that is more than 20 years old, outside the aircraft’s useful life “and well beyond the hours of operational use for a corporate aircraft.”

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 8: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem looks on during a panel discussion in the State Dining Room of the White House on October 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Trump administration held the roundtable to discuss the anti-fascist movement Antifa after signing an executive order designating it as a “domestic terrorist organization.” (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 8: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem looks on during a panel discussion in the State Dining Room of the White House on October 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Trump administration held the roundtable to discuss the anti-fascist movement Antifa after signing an executive order designating it as a “domestic terrorist organization.” (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

The department said it would not allow the federal shutdown to “slow down this process” of replacing the plane, but Democrats want to know where the money is coming from.

“Your first priority should be organizing, training, and equipping a Coast Guard that is strong enough to meet current mission requirements. Instead, it appears that your first priority is your own comfort,” Democratic Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Lauren Underwood wrote in a letter to Noem.

This week, DHS said it would pay more than 70,000 sworn police officers, including TSA air marshals, but not the 50,000 TSA security personnel who operate airport checkpoints.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, called for an investigation into the purchase. “Such spending is blatantly immoral — and likely illegal — and Congress must investigate,” Thompson said in a statement Saturday.

Thompson said Congress rejected a DHS request for a $50 million plane earlier this year. He noted that Coast Guard service members are using some mission-critical aircraft that date back to the 1980s.

The Bloomberg administration was the first to previously report the planned purchases.

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(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Diane Craft)