Can you say, “massive, overweening chutzpah?”

With 14 million Americans still out of work, Congress is seeking $550 million for eight new aircraft that would increase the fleet the Air Force uses to ferry senators and representatives to war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan as well less dangerous locations like London, Paris and the Galapagos.

No question, congressional travel is on the upswing. Overseas trips by lawmakers has increased almost tenfold since 1995. Last year, members of Congress spent $13 million in travel expenses, not counting airfare. So the Obama administration requested $220 million in its budget to buy four passenger jets for congressional use, including two that are currently being leased by the Air Force.

For some reason, the House Appropriations Committee thought that wasn’t enough. So just before lawmakers left for August recess, the House doubled the order to eight aircraft, at a cost of $550 million.

UPDATE at 8/11/09 12:42:39 pm:

After the plan was exposed, House Dems decided it didn’t really look good, so they reduced the order by half: Murtha Says VIP Jets Will Be Cut From $636.3 Billion Measure.

Aug. 11 (Bloomberg) — U.S. House leaders say they will drop plans to purchase four more VIP jets than were requested by the Department of Defense to transport government officials on foreign trips.

Representative John Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who leads the House defense appropriations subcommittee, said he would cut the additional aircraft from legislation that would provide $636.3 billion for the U.S. military in fiscal 2010.

“If the Department of Defense does not want these aircraft, they will be eliminated from the bill,” Murtha said in a statement issued yesterday.

That’s much better. So they’re only spending $220 million now. A measly little $220 million for private jets. Who could begrudge them that?