A GOP congressman was confronted on an airplane for flying first class during the government shutdown

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

US Rep. Rodney Davis

• Video obtained by The Huffington Post shows US Representative Rodney Davis in a first-class section of an airplane flying from Chicago to Washington, DC, on Tuesday.
• A man can be heard questioning why Davis was flying first class during the government shutdown, and accused him of using tax-payer money for the flight.
• A spokeswoman for Davis said he bought a coach seat and was upgraded because of his frequent flyer status.
• She added that Davis has never used tax-payer money to purchase first-class tickets.

Republican representative was confronted by an airline passenger on Tuesday after he was seen flying first class from Chicago to Washington, DC, during the government shutdown.

Video obtained by The Huffington Post shows US Rep Rodney Davis, who represents Illinois's 13th congressional district, remaining silent as a fellow passenger asked him about the flight.

"Congressman, do you think it's appropriate to fly first class while 57 TSA agents aren't being paid?" the man asked the lawmaker from Illinois, in an apparent reference to the TSA's 57,000 employees who are working without pay across the country.

Davis did not respond to the question, and the man who confronted him said, "Taking that as a yes," and accused him of using tax-payer money for the flight.

The man speaking to Davis was not identified by The Huffington Post.

Davis spokesperson Ashley Phelps told the site that the lawmaker has never used tax-payer money to purchase first-class tickets, and did not do so for Tuesday's flight.

Read more: SHUTDOWN DAY 33: Federal courts say they'll be crippled by next week; bills in Congress to reopen the government look dead on arrival

Phelps said Davis's office bought a coach ticket and was upgraded to first class because of his frequent flyer status.

"There was no additional cost to taxpayers," she said.

An ethics officer with the House of Representatives told Huffington Post that accepting the upgrade is not in violation of anti-corruption rules because Davis had done so with miles he had accumulated.

Meanwhile, the government shutdown is in its 33rd day. The Senate is scheduled to vote on proposals re-open the government on Thursday, though neither is expected to pass.

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