House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lashed back at her critics Thursday, saying that she was willing to fly commercial airlines back to her district.
Addressing the media, Pelosi, D-Calif., said reports that she had asked for a large, publicly funded plane to fly back to San Francisco without refueling were lies spread by political enemies.
“I’m happy to fly commercial,” she said. “That’s a lot of mileage-plus.”
Pelosi said the Republicans were “playing a game” and that the Pentagon was smearing her because of her harsh criticisms of the Defense Department.
“I’m not saying that I am being discriminated against because I am a woman,” Pelosi said. “I’m just saying as the first woman Speaker, I have no intention of having less respect for the office I hold than all of the other Speakers that have come before me.”
Pelosi said that the Congressional sergeants-at-arms and the White House had insisted she fly a military plane back to her district for security reasons.
The speaker of the House is third in line for the presidency.
On Thursday, the White House said there was nothing wrong with asking Pelosi to stop for gas.
“When Tom Foley was speaker, he sometimes used military transport and stopped in North Dakota,” said White House Press Secretary Tony Snow. “He was from Washington state. He had to stop to get gas so he could complete the journey.”
The Pentagon is offering Pelosi the same plane that was used by her immediate predecessor, Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., which would need to refuel during a coast-to-coast trip. Pelosi’s reported demand for a larger aircraft has prompted criticism from Republicans who view the demand as arrogant.
Under the heading “Pelosi’s power trip,” the Republican National Committee issued a statement Thursday mocking the Democrat’s demand. “‘Non-Stop’ Nancy seeks flight of fancy,” the statement said.
The White House attempted to distance itself from such overt criticism by the RNC, saying Pelosi was entitled to an aircraft for security reasons in the post-9/11 era. But Snow pointed out that the type of plane sought by Pelosi might not always be available.
“You’re talking about a limited fleet,” he said. “You’ve got a whole series of craft and not everyone’s available at each and every time.”
Snow said the dispute should be hashed out by the Pentagon and the congressional sergeant at arms.
