[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 22, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S5498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GREGG (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Nickles, Mr. Warner, 
        Mrs. Kassebaum, Mr. Thurmond, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Bryan):
  S. 1794. A bill to amend chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code, 
to provide for the forfeiture of retirement benefits in the case of any 
Member of Congress, congressional employee, or Federal justice or judge 
who is convicted of an offense relating to official duties of that 
individual, and for the forfeiture of the retirement allowance of the 
President for such a conviction; to the Committee on Governmental 
Affairs.


  the congressional, presidential, and judicial pension forfeiture act

 Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I introduce legislation which is, 
unfortunately, a necessary measure. Even its name--the Congressional, 
Presidential, and Judicial Pension Forfeiture Act--does not give any of 
us a good feeling. However, I do not introduce this bill 
apologetically, because I believe there is a compelling need to enact 
these changes in order to regain public confidence and trust in elected 
officials and top federal appointees.
  I urge all of my distinguished colleagues to examine this bill and to 
ask themselves the same kinds of questions the American people have 
been asking for a long time. ``Why are Members of Congress not held 
accountable for their decisions, and more importantly for their 
wrongdoing? Why do they seem to think they are above the people who 
elected them, and even sometimes above the law?''
  Recent events have only confirmed such cynicism. I'm sure none of us 
would like to be reminded of the embarrassment caused by these 
scandals, which are representative of an increasing trend of privilege 
abuse. Thirty-four Members have served felony prison sentences since 
1900, 13 of those in the last decade. Perhaps we need a deterrent, a 
statutory deterrent--such as the Congressional, Presidential, and 
Judicial Pension Forfeiture Act--which would cause those who may be 
tempted to abuse the privileges of public service to think twice before 
exploiting those powers. More importantly, this bill is also aimed at 
establishing a commonsense approach to fair play in the use of 
taxpayers' money--an approach that the public understands instinctively 
but to which Congress has yet to conform.
  This bill would deny congressional pensions to any Members who commit 
specified felony crimes during their term in office. The crimes relate 
directly to the execution of congressional duties and were taken from a 
compilation of Federal ethics laws prepared by the Committee on 
Government Affairs. These crimes are acts which we all know are wrong, 
and for which any American citizen would pay dearly in a court of law. 
Yet we as, Members of Congress, were elected on the basis of integrity 
and character and, as such, we should hold ourselves to higher ethical 
standards than the average citizen. This is true in the military, whose 
officers, if convicted in a court-martial, lose their pensions for 
serious wrongdoing. We should ask ourselves if we, too, should submit 
to the kind of standards worthy of our offices. I think we should.

  Mr. President, the question here is accountability. How accountable 
do we perceive ourselves as being for the decisions we make? While we 
would never deny that we all make mistakes--and our constituents would 
never expect us to be perfect--the American people do have a right to 
expect that we serve them honorably, with a strong mind, and with a 
clear conscience. More specifically, they have a right to expect that 
we perform our duties free of corruption. Therefore, I strongly urge 
all of you to consider the source of public cynicism and the bad image 
which Government has recently acquired. Sixty-six percent of eligible 
American voters decide to stay home on election night, not because they 
would rather watch TV, but because they have lost faith in their 
elected officials--in us--and in the importance of their votes in a 
democratic system they no longer feel is responsive to them. And this 
time, it is not about issues; it is about accountability. None of us 
would claim here on the floor of the Senate that we do not hold 
ourselves accountable for our own actions. Hopefully, my colleagues 
will agree to support this bill as a step toward regaining the respect 
and the trust of the American people.
  Finally, I would like to thank Senators Reid and Nickles, who have 
been working independently on this issue and are joining me today in 
introducing this bill. Also, I would like to thank my colleagues who 
have come forward and have demonstrated their support for the bill by 
becoming original cosponsors. It is gratifying, and I am very honored, 
to have my distinguished colleagues, from both sides of the aisle, 
joining me on this issue.
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