GOP Lawmakers Express Doubts on U.S. Stake in Spirit Airlines

President Donald Trump confirmed that officials are thinking about buying a stake in Spirit Airlines. Nearly a dozen GOP lawmakers told Semafor they opposed or harbored significant doubts about the plan to buy a stake in Spirit Airlines. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Semafor on Tuesday that buying a stake in Spirit Airlines would be a really bad idea and that the government does not want to own airlines.

Thune stated he would share his view with the Trump administration if officials ask. Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz told Semafor that a bailout for Spirit Airlines is a terrible idea and corporate bailouts are a mistake. Cruz stated the federal government does not know how to run a budget airline and hopes the idea is put back on the shelf.

Sen. Thom Tillis told Semafor of the Spirit talks, “It’s horsesh*t.” Tillis referenced a 10% stake in Intel, 5 to 10% stakes in three or four mining companies, a golden share in US Steel, and a half-a-billion dollar stake in Spirit Airlines.

Sen. Josh Hawley called the Spirit Airlines proposal “not my favorite thing in the world.” Hawley stated he does not really want to help Spirit Airlines because it is one of the worst in terms of how they treat their customers.

“Why Spirit above everybody else?” a senator told Semafor. “I don’t get it, actually.” A senator stated that right now Congress cannot pass gas around here much less a bill doing a Spirit deal.

The senator stated that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is giving the president incredibly bad advice. A senator stated he is concerned about further government involvement in other businesses. “We don’t want to lose a carrier. But it just philosophically troubles me about this endeavor to put money into a private corporation,” the senator said.