By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democrats in Congress on Saturday criticized the Trump administration’s decision to buy two Gulfstream G700 jets for $172 million during the ongoing government shutdown that are to be used by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other senior leaders.

The U.S. Coast Guard entered into a sole-source contract on Friday, according to a government contracting website. The jets will be used for the Coast Guard’s Long Range Command Control fleet of aircraft.

DHS said in a statement late Friday that the new jets are needed because it currently relies on a Gulfstream CG-101 G550 jet that is over 20 years old, outside of the aircraft’s service life “and well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.”

The department said it would not

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