Noem Approves Spending $200 Million to Buy Jets During Shutdown

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem authorized the US Coast Guard to spend $200 million as soon as Friday on luxury jets as the government shutdown nears the end of its third full week.

Two new Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. G700 jets will transport senior officials and department staff while helping maintain maritime border security, according to an Oct. 15 congressional notification obtained by Bloomberg Government. Current G550 aircraft used by the department are increasingly obsolete with rising maintenance costs, according to the document.

The timing of the purchase sparked criticism from a top House Democrat on Friday.

“While members of the ...