In the midst of a partial federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ignited controversy by awarding a contract for two Gulfstream G700 business jets, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, watchdogs, and the public. The contract, valued at approximately $172 million but potentially reaching $200 million when factoring in training, specialized paint, and cabin enhancements, was signed through the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) as part of its Long Range Command and Control Aircraft (LRCCA) program. The jets are intended for executive air transport and secure communications for senior DHS leadership, including Secretary Kristi Noem, as well as other top department and Coast Guard officials, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee, in a statement issued on October 18, 2025, decried the move as a misuse of taxpayer dollars, especially as thousands of DHS employees faced pay uncertainty due to the shutdown. "While the federal government is shut down and thousands of DHS employees are without pay, Secretary Noem has chosen to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on luxury aircraft," the lawmakers wrote, as reported by The New York Times. They further alleged that the deal was approved "behind closed doors" and demanded full documentation, including justification for bypassing competitive tendering and clarification of the funding source. The panel requested answers from DHS by October 30, 2025.
The procurement has also become a flashpoint in the wider debate over government spending priorities. The Coast Guard had originally requested around $50 million earlier in the year for a single replacement jet, but the requirement expanded to two G700s at more than triple that amount. The total cost includes not just the aircraft, but also training, specialized paint, and custom cabin enhancements, according to a document obtained by The Washington Post.
Critics, including Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) and Lauren Underwood (D-Illinois), accused Secretary Noem of putting her own comfort ahead of Coast Guard service members. In a letter to Noem, they wrote, "The procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the USCG has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the USCG’s operational needs," as cited by The New York Times. They added, "We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars." Ethics watchdogs have also weighed in, referencing Noem’s prior use of Coast Guard jets for personal travel and her temporary, rent-free stay at the Coast Guard commandant’s residence, which DHS said was necessary for her safety after threats.
The DHS and Coast Guard, however, have vigorously defended the purchase. Acting Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday explained in a May 2025 congressional 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." He emphasized the importance of "secure, reliable, on-demand communications and movement" for agency leaders, enabling them to visit operational forces and respond to emergencies. The Coast Guard reported that its current long-range command and control aircraft had logged over 30 days of unplanned maintenance in 2025, resulting in multiple mission cancellations.
A senior adviser to Secretary Noem for the Coast Guard told Newsweek, "This is a matter of safety and mission readiness. It’s well known that senior military officials and Cabinet members need secure command and control and rapid long-range mobility." The DHS echoed this sentiment in a statement from May 2025, describing the purchase as necessary to replace an aging Gulfstream G550 that had exceeded its service life and was vital for global operations. "Ensuring the safety and rapid mobility of department leadership is essential to maintaining national security readiness," the department stated.
The Gulfstream G700, certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2024, is the flagship ultra-long-range business jet from Gulfstream Aerospace, a subsidiary of General Dynamics. Powered by Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, the G700 boasts a range of 7,750 nautical miles (14,350 km) and features a fly-by-wire cockpit along with advanced avionics. Its cabin can be configured with up to five living zones, including conference and rest areas, and government variants are equipped with encrypted communications and command-and-control systems for strategic mobility missions. Gulfstream markets the G700 as "the pinnacle of business aviation excellence," according to its website.
Despite these defenses, the optics of purchasing new luxury aircraft during a government shutdown have not gone unnoticed. Critics argue that the deal risks damaging morale within DHS, especially as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees experience pay uncertainty. The controversy is further fueled by Noem’s history of spending, which has included significant taxpayer-funded expenditures during her tenure as South Dakota governor, as reported by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and the Associated Press.
The funding source for the jets remains somewhat opaque. While Republicans included roughly $25 billion in new funding for the Coast Guard in their 2025 tax cut and domestic policy legislation—about $2.3 billion of which was earmarked for the procurement and acquisition of rotary-wing aircraft—DHS has not publicly clarified how the jet purchase fits into this budget. Noem herself has implemented a policy requiring her personal approval for any department expense over $100,000, a move intended to increase oversight but which has also drawn scrutiny given her own spending decisions.
The media coverage of the deal has become a battleground of its own. After The New York Times ran a story with the headline "Coast Guard Buys Two Private Jets for Noem, Costing $172 Million," DHS took to social media to denounce the report as "lies." The department posted an altered headline: "Coast Guard Buys Two Government Planes For The Men And Women of USCG, Costing $172 Million," emphasizing that the aircraft are for broader government use, not solely for Secretary Noem. "More LIES from the failing @nytimes! These government planes are for the brave men and women of the @USCG," DHS wrote on X, asserting that secure, long-range mobility is essential for national emergency response and leadership continuity.
As congressional oversight committees prepare to review the procurement documents in the coming weeks, the debate over the jets’ necessity, timing, and cost shows no signs of abating. DHS maintains that the acquisition is about safety and mission readiness, while critics see it as emblematic of misplaced priorities during a period of fiscal constraint and public scrutiny.
With both sides digging in, the fate of the Gulfstream G700 contract—and its implications for future government procurement—will likely remain a hot topic on Capitol Hill and beyond. The story underscores the perennial tension between operational needs and public perception, especially when taxpayer dollars and government accountability are at stake.
