The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is calling on President Trump to take “extraordinary measures” to help American citizens abroad who are struggling to find flights back to the U.S. amid the global coronavirus outbreak.
In a letter to Mr. Trump Sunday, Sen. Bob Menendez, New Jersey Democrat, called for the administration to take “all necessary steps” to provide travel assistance to tens of thousands of Americans around the world trying to return home.
“No American should ever have to worry that they might be abandoned abroad by our government … we must provide Americans overseas the support that they need,” Mr. Menendez wrote, pointing to the rapidly increasing number of cancelled commercial flights into the U.S. and new measures to close borders.
Mr. Menendez suggested the Pentagon “explore” making military aircraft available to evacuate stranded American citizens and called on Mr. Trump to authorize the use of the Civil Reserve Airfleet (CRAF) to charter commercial flights for this purpose.
“At a time when U.S. commercial carriers are seeking unprecedented financial assistance from U.S. taxpayers — and while much of the airline fleet is otherwise idle — we would expect that U.S. airlines, including those participating in the CRAF program, will be willing and able to step into the breach and work with the Department of State to provide the necessary support to bring American citizens home,” Mr. Menendez wrote.
The letter comes just days after the State Department issued its highest travel advisory — level 4 — warning Americans not to travel internationally amid the health pandemic.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday said his department is working with the Pentagon and commercial and private airlines to fly U.S. citizens to an undisclosed destination in the U.S., while other Americans could find themselves flying back on a Defense Department flight “where there is space available.”
A handful of lawmakers have raised “serious concerns” in recent days about Americans abroad who are struggling to return after U.S. citizens in Honduras, Morocco, Peru and Tunisia reported difficulties booking flights or obtaining support from American embassies and consulates.
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