The Department of Homeland Security has purchased two Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem, the secretary, and other top department officials at a cost of $172 million, according to public documents.
A department official said the jets were necessary for safety.
Earlier this year the Coast Guard added a request to purchase a new long-range Gulfstream V jet, estimated to cost $50 million, to replace an aging one currently used by ICE Barbie Noem.
Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard since January 21, 2025, told Congress at a May hearing, “The avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable and it’s in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet.”
Since then, DHS has signed a contract with Gulfstream to buy not one but two “used” G700 jets, touted by the company as having the “most spacious cabin in the industry.”
It is not clear where the funding for two jets is coming from. Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Lauren Underwood have asked Noem to clarify the funding source.
“In addition to raising serious questions about your ability to effectively lead an agency whose procurement strategies appear to vary on a whim, the procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the U.S.C.G. has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the U.S.C.G.’s operational needs, even during a government shutdown,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.”