WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- Partisan bickering about ethics in the U.S. House is keeping lawmakers from correcting a rule that accidentally banned the use of personal aircraft.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wants to alter rules aimed at prohibiting House members from traveling on corporate jets, which inadvertently also barred representatives from flying their own planes or riding with others, The Hill reported Friday.
The rule says lawmakers can not ride in any "non-governmental airplane that is not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate for compensation or hire," but does not make exceptions for those who own private planes.
Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, is obstructing Pelosi's attempts to revisit the rule through unanimous consent, a procedure that allows uncontroversial measures to come to the floor of the House with a voice vote. Aides from both parties say Boehner is blocking the attempt to gain leverage for larger changes to ethics rules.
One Democratic aide said Boehner would not reveal his demands in talks with Pelosi.
"They are completely jamming up this process, so we're evaluating what options we have to go forward," the aide said.
