Family Business Succession

Dear Madam Speaker

I am pleased to provide you with the Department of Defense’s response to your staff’s January 23, 2007 request for policy guidance with regard to airlift support for your travel.

We will support your requested travel consistent with title 31 of the United States Code (Section 1108 (g)) and the CODEL travel rules of the 1010th Congress. Further we will provide Presidentially-directed shuttle support as a courtesy in recognition of your position as Speaker of the House, and consistent with that support provided to previous Speakers of the House. Since the plan for continuity with the Presidency does not include routine use of military airlift for the Speaker of the House, this support is provided without any specific basis to your standing as a Presidential successor or position in the line of succession.

This shuttle support will be limited to airlift between your home district and Washington, D.C. While every effort will always be made to provide non-stop shuttle support, such support is subject to aircraft type and availability, and therefore may not always guaranteed. Aircraft assigned to these missions will accomodate between 7 and not more than 10 passengers, depending on aircraft type and availability.

Also, upon your written request, on a trip by trip basis, we will support travel of your immediate family members on these shuttle missions. Your family will be required to provide reimbursement to the Treasury of the United States at the rate determined by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct but not less than unrestricted coach fare for airfare and for all meals or incidental expenses (to exclude travel of your husband, who may travel for official protocol purposes when accompanying you). Non-US government travelers, other than your immediate family, will not be authorized.

As with previous speakers, we cannot support expenditure of DoD resources for your travel to or from political events. DoD support for travel to other official events must be in accordance with title 31 of the United States Code (Section 1108(g)) and the CODEL travel rules of the 110th Congress. With regard to travel with other Members of Congress (including Members of the California Congressional delegation) on these shuttle missions, we will need a written advisory opinion on eligibility and reimbursement, issued by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the Committee on House Administration before we can support travel of other Members of Congress on your Presidentially-directed shuttle missions.

Thank you for providing an opportunity for us to clarify these rules. We look forward to working closely with you and your staff during the 110th Congress.

Yes, we shouldn’t have had to be subjected to this sort of thing in the first place! Just like a democrat to ask the gov. for more! They always think they are untitled!