S.Res. 218Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

A resolution condemning any acceptance of Presidential aircraft, or any other substantial gift, from a foreign government.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 12:38 AM UTC

The Senate resolution denounces any foreign government giving the United States a presidential aircraft—or any other large gift—because it could threaten national security and violate the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause. It says such gifts could compromise classified information, influence U.S. foreign policy, and set a dangerous precedent. The resolution calls on Congress to require its approval before any such gift is accepted and urges the executive branch to refuse aircraft that aren’t built to U.S. defense standards.

Key Provisions

Condemns the acceptance of a presidential aircraft or any substantial foreign gift as a serious national‑security risk.
Requires that any such gift can be accepted only with explicit consent from Congress.
Urges the executive branch to reject aircraft not built under Department of Defense security specifications.
Condemns any acceptance that would violate existing laws or the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text: CR S2897-2898)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

May 13, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 13, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text: CR S2897-2898)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

May 13, 2025

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S.Res. 218 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Sen. Brian SchatzD-HI · May 13, 2025

Mr. President, on another matter, it really should go without saying, but no President should be accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country. It is gross; it is reckless; it is corrupt; and…

There is no excuse or justification for this. It is wrong. That is the end of the story. There is no legal justification. There is no commonsense justification.

Let's unpack this a little bit. Trump is planning to accept a $400 million luxury plane from Qatar, which he just so happens to be visiting this week on his first foreign trip of his term.

The stated purpose of that trip is to cut business deals, but it is very hard to drive a hard bargain when the people that you are negotiating with just gave you a $400 million gift. And it means that the other side will have a much easier time getting what it wants, even if American interests are harmed.

A law enforcement official called the gift a ``security nightmare'' because it would require basically the whole thing to be busted up, taken apart, and reconstituted. If that all sounds blatantly corrupt and incredibly wasteful, it is because it is.

I just want everyone to go through the thought experiment. Imagine if it were a President of the other party, imagine if this happened 25 years ago and you were reading about something in history, do you think that an American President should accept a $400 million gift?

Do you think that Air Force One--this icon, this symbol of American power abroad that has carried John F. Kennedy's body; where LBJ was sworn in; where George W. Bush was whisked away when the Twin Towers fell; where multiple Presidents of both parties and multiple generations have done extraordinary work around the world making sure that we are the indispensable Nation; that we are the leader of the free world--now sponsored by Qatar.

I remain flabbergasted that this thing is not going to pass. I remain completely aghast. This is the most blatant, obvious, ridiculous, gross corruption that I have ever seen in my entire life by dollar amount, by symbolism, by violating constitutional and statutory law, and also just violating like--I am not a lawyer. You don't have to be all fancy pants to understand how ridiculous it is that a foreign government is going to say: Hey, we will take care of Air Force One for you.

And so we have a simple resolution--and it is simple. I was going read it, but you know what, I will just summarize it. It basically says--and the way these things are structured, it is bunch of whereases: Whereas Air Force One is a symbol of the United States; Whereas Air Force One is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Office of the Presidency; and so on and so forth; therefore, be it resolved that we shouldn't do this, that the American President should not accept a $400 million gift from anybody.

And so, as if in legislative session, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 218, submitted earlier today; that there be up to 2 hours for debate on the resolution and that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on the adoption of the resolution; finally, that if the resolution is adopted, the preamble be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Sen. Tommy TubervilleR-AL · May 13, 2025

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, as usual, my Democratic colleagues are losing their minds over this situation, but let's just talk about the facts. First of all, this is not a done…

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, as usual, my Democratic colleagues are losing their minds over this situation, but let's just talk about the facts.

First of all, this is not a done deal. It has not happened yet. It is all talk. But if reports are accurate, the Government of Qatar is considering gifting the United States Department of Defense an American-made Boeing 747--I will repeat that--an American-made Boeing 747 plane for temporary use as Air Force One.

It is not for the President's personal use, and he will not be using it after he leaves office.

It is customary and totally normal for foreign countries to give our government gifts. The DOJ has already

said that this does not violate any law. So why are my colleagues and the woke media having a full-blown meltdown over this situation?

Perhaps it is because in the past 72 hours, President Trump has delivered so many wins, you can't count them all.

On Sunday, he negotiated a deal with China, dropping tariffs 50 percent.

On Monday, he secured the release of the last remaining hostage in Hamas. Edan Alexander has been through hell the past 584 days, and it took President Trump to bring him home.

Today, President Trump just announced hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment from the Middle East and on Thursday is forcing a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy to end this brutal war in Ukraine.

You would think the media would be celebrating all these wins, along with my colleagues, but as usual, the Trump derangement syndrome is getting in the way.

I am convinced that the media and some of my colleagues would rather President Trump lose on everything and our country lose on everything than be successful.

Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, we are all Americans. Sometimes, I think we all forget that. And we should all be able to celebrate anytime a President delivers a win for the American taxpayers.

And by the way, we are $37 trillion in debt. If another country wants to give us a free plane to save the taxpayers of this country $400 million, the only thing we should say is thank you. Democrats are rudderless right now. They are looking for something to hang their hat on. They see that President Trump has done more in 4 months than President Biden did in 4 years.

So they want to make a plane gift from Qatar the next so-called perfect phone call. To my Democrat colleagues: Instead of wasting our time objecting every time President Trump breathes, maybe you should go get outside of DC and go connect with the American people.

I can promise you, they don't give a rip about an airplane. They care about their lives and this economy and the things that have been destroyed for the past 4 years that President Trump is trying to put back together.

For these reasons, Mr. President, I object.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 13, 2025

III

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 218

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 13, 2025

Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Booker, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Sanders, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Peters, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Slotkin, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Kim, and Mr. Kelly) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

RESOLUTION

Condemning any acceptance of Presidential aircraft, or any other substantial gift, from a foreign government.

Whereas the aircraft commonly referred to as Air Force One is a symbol of the United States;

Whereas Air Force One is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Office of the President of the United States;

Whereas Air Force One is equipped with some of the most sensitive technologies designed to transmit some of the most highly classified national security information of the United States;

Whereas the acceptance of Presidential aircraft from a foreign government—

(1)

constitutes a substantial gift; and

(2)

poses counter-intelligence and other national security concerns;

Whereas the acceptance of a substantial gift from a foreign government could unduly influence the foreign policies of the United States;

Whereas the acceptance of Presidential aircraft from a foreign government would establish a concerning precedent for the acceptance of substantial gifts from foreign governments without the consent of Congress;

Whereas the Foreign Emoluments Clause contained in clause 8 of section 9 of article I of the Constitution of the United States states that no present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind, may be accepted by the President of the United States from a king, prince, or foreign state without the consent of Congress;

Whereas the President of the United States has a constitutional and statutory obligation to uphold the public trust; and

Whereas the violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution of the United States undermines public trust and the integrity of public office in the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate—

(1)

condemns any acceptance of a Presidential aircraft, or any other substantial gift, from a foreign government as a grave national security threat to the Office of the President;

(2)

demands that any such gift may only be accepted by the President with the explicit consent of Congress;

(3)

urges the executive branch to reject compromising the national security of the United States by operating an aircraft not built under the security specifications or supervision of the Department of Defense as Air Force One; and

(4)

condemns any acceptance of a Presidential aircraft, or any other substantial gift, from a foreign government if such acceptance violates any law.