Posted on 01/11/2016 7:08:32 PM PST by Citizen Zed
President Obama could soon get a bill on his desk limiting his post-presidential pay.
The House has approved a measure to curb the taxpayer-funded benefits former presidents receive each year after leaving the White House in order to tamp down on benefits afforded to those who make a considerable salary in the private sector.
The bill from House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, would limit yearly presidential pensions to $200,000 - slightly less than they're allowed now - but would cut that amount by a dollar for every dollar they earn over $400,000 a year in the private sector.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
The Utah Republican says taxpayers shouldn't be footing the bill for former presidents who have no trouble earning money.
"It's pretty simple. You want a retirement and pension, it's there. But if you're going to go out and make enormous sums of money, then you don't need taxpayer subsidies," Chaffetz said in an interview.
"The former presidents are making gobs of money speaking and writing books, more power to them, but that does't mean they need more taxpayer dollars on top of that," Chaffetz said in an interview. "It's embarrassing that they take that money."
Under the 1958 Former Presidents Act, previous commanders-in-chief are entitled to a pension equal to the annual salary of a Cabinet Secretary -- $203,700 in 2015. They also receive stipends to pay for postage, office space and staff salaries.
While the measure was enacted after President Harry Truman left office -- and had trouble paying his bills when he returned to Missouri -- former presidents now make comfortable livings running foundations, writing books and giving speeches.
Chaffetz has introduced the bill in previous years, only to see it die in committee. Now, he has a buy in from Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, the top Democrat on his Oversight Committee.
"We've got a good working relationship, and I think we have a mutual trust," he said of Cummings' support for the bill, adding that it would impact Republicans and Democrats equally.
The bill doesn't affect funding for presidential security details, but does increase the annual compensation for presidential spouses from $20,000 to $100,000 a year, and tweaks the law's language to include widowers.
The government spent roughly $3.2 million on presidential allowances in 2015, according to the Congressional Research Service, with President George W. Bush receiving the most taxpayer money ($1.09 million), followed by President Bill Clinton ($924,000).
Are Congressman and Senators included? Why stop with the presidents?
W got a million bucks from the taxpayers? He’s probably giving it to Yeb.
This is good.
Vetoed by Precedent Erkel Mugabe in.... 3......2......1.......
Ground AF1; for da Erf - no more excessive CO2.
They all become millionaires these days.
After Truman left the White House he lived with his mother-in-law back in Missouri.
My,how times have changed.
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Really, all the crap that is going on in this country and around the world, this is what they focus on? How about the flood of illegals, or the $20T debt? These pukes should be run out of DC and exiled to Iraq.
Petty. Drop in the bucket. We waste trillions and write legislation on this?
In the meantime they are burning through trillions. This is just smoke and mirrors.
A 100% marginal tax rate? Bernie Sanders likes this 10% more than the 90% tax rate he dreams about.
On paper they might get this.....meanwhile behind the curtain.........they get millions. Kabuki.
What does drafting and pushing a bill from start to finish cost the taxpayers?
#EveryLineItemMatters
I wonder if they collect Social Security as well.
Amen.
Single issue voters are surprised to find out all the other single issue voters don’t necessarily have the same single issues as they do. To expect Congress to toe their personal line will lead to disappointment. That said, Texas is pretty well governed and the legislature only convenes every other year, and then is allowed only 140 days. If we’re going to insist on a full time Congress, they’ll find a way to fill the hours, and we shouldn’t be surprised if their priorities wander.
All elected official should get NOTHING when they are out of office. I’d consider letting the president and immediate family continue to get secret service protection for some (short) number of years but that is it.
No pensions, no health insurance, nothing. And in fact it should be made illegal to address former office holders as “senator” or whatever the title might be.
I’ve had it with these people, they’ve destroyed our nation and we’ve rewarded them at every turn.
And as for the rest of the “civil service” that too needs to change and pronto.
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