[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8111-S8112]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FRIST:
  S. 1326. A bill to eliminate certain benefits for Members of 
Congress, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Governmental 
Affairs.


                          Citizen Congress Act

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Citizen 
Congress Act, a bill which will end the five greatest perks and 
privileges which separate the Members of Congress from the American 
people, and which will eliminate taxpayer-funded financial incentives 
which encourage Members to become life-long legislators. In the past 
two Congresses, I have introduced a more broad version of this 
legislation. However, in the next two years, I want to focus on 
removing the top five taxpayer-funded financial incentives which 
encourage Senators and Representatives to remain in office as career 
politicians. I believe that the elimination of these five special 
privileges will return Congress to the institution our fore-fathers 
established.
  As we approach the two-hundred and twenty-third anniversary of the 
founding of our great country, we should remember that our Founding 
Fathers envisioned a Congress of citizen legislators who would leave 
their families and communities for a short time to write legislation 
and pass laws, and then return home to live under those laws they 
helped to pass. Unfortunately, we have stayed from that vision. With 
the passage of the Congressional Accountability Act four years ago, we 
made the first step towards ensuring that Members of Congress abide by 
the same laws as everyone else. In spite of this measure, Members of 
Congress continue to receive special perks and privileges unavailable 
to most American citizens. While I support term limits for Members of 
Congress, and I remain committed to passing a term limits amendment to 
the Constitution, there are other more immediate actions we can take to 
restore faith in Congress.
  The legislation I introduce today represents an achievable step 
toward making Congress more accountable and responsible to the American 
people. The Citizen Congress Act will eliminate the five greatest 
financial incentives for Members to become life-long legislators, and 
will put them on equal footing with the majority of Americans. The 
provisions of this legislation include: Eliminate the taxpayer subsidy 
element of Congressional pensions; require public disclosure of 
Congressional pensions; eliminate automatic COLA's for Congressional 
pensions; eliminate automatic COLA's for Congressional pay; and require 
a roll call vote on all Congressional pay increases.
  Eliminating the taxpayer subsidy of Congressional pensions and 
reforming the overall Congressional pension system represents a 
remarkable improvement. With the Citizen Congress Act, Senators and 
Representatives will no longer be eligible for pensions that far exceed 
what is available in the private sector and are padded with matching 
taxpayer dollars. Instead, Members will have access to the same plans 
as other federal employees and private citizens,

[[Page S8112]]

with no taxpayer subsidy. This will ensure that Members who serve in 
Congress for many years do not accumulate multi-million dollar pensions 
at the public's expense. Automatic cost of living adjustments for 
Congressional pensions are also eliminated in this bill. Additionally, 
requiring a public roll call vote on pay increases ensures that Members 
of Congress do not vote themselves a pay increase in the dead of night, 
as has been the case many, many times in the past.
  At a time when everyone is tightening their belts to maintain fiscal 
responsibility and restore confidence in our government, it is only 
fitting that Members of Congress eliminate the perks and privileges 
which separate them from the American people. This is what Tennesseans 
tell me when I travel across our state, and that is what I am doing 
with the Citizen Congress Act. I encourage my colleagues to join me in 
passing this important legislation and bringing Congress another step 
closer to the American people.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the bill 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1326

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Citizen Congress Act''.

     SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON RETIREMENT COVERAGE FOR MEMBERS OF 
                   CONGRESS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, effective at the beginning of the Congress next 
     beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act, a 
     Member of Congress shall be ineligible to participate in the 
     Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees' 
     Retirement System, except as otherwise provided under this 
     section.
       (b) Participation in the Thrift Savings Plan.--
     Notwithstanding subsection (a), a Member may participate in 
     the Thrift Savings Plan subject to section 8351 if title 5, 
     United States Code, at anytime during the 12-year period 
     beginning on the date the Member begins his or her first 
     term.
       (c) Refunds of Contributions.--
       (1) In General.--Nothing in subsection (a) shall prevent 
     refunds from being made, in accordance with otherwise 
     applicable provisions of law (including those relating to the 
     Thrift Savings Plan), on account of an individual's becoming 
     ineligible to participate in the Civil Service Retirement 
     System or the Federal Employees' Retirement System (as the 
     case may be) as a result of the enactment of this section.
       (2) Treatment of refund.--For purposes of any refund 
     referred to in paragraph (1), a Member who so becomes 
     ineligible to participate in either of the retirement systems 
     referred to in paragraph (1) shall be treated in the same way 
     as if separated from service.
       (d) Annuities Not Affected to the Extent Based on Prior 
     Service.--Subsection (a) shall not be considered to affect--
       (1) any annuity (or other benefit) entitlement which is 
     based on a separation from service occurring before the date 
     of the enactment of this Act (including any survivor annuity 
     based on the death of the individual who so separated); or
       (2) any other annuity (or benefit), to the extent provided 
     under subsection (e).
       (e) Preservations of Rights Based on Prior Service.--
       (1) In general.--For purposes of determining eligibility 
     for, or the amount of, any annuity (or other benefit) 
     referred to in subsection (d)(2) based on service as a Member 
     of Congress--
       (A) all service as a Member of Congress shall be 
     disregarded except for any such service performed before the 
     date of the enactment of this Act; and
       (B) all pay for service performed as a Member of Congress 
     shall be disregarded other than pay for service which may be 
     taken into account under subparagraph (A).
       (2) Preservation of rights.--To the extent practicable, 
     eligibility for, and the amount of, any annuity (or other 
     benefit) to which an individual is entitled based on a 
     separation of a Member of Congress occurring after such 
     Member becomes ineligible to participate in the Civil Service 
     Retirement System or the Federal Employees' Retirement System 
     (as the case may be) by reason of subsection (a) shall be 
     determined in a manner that preserves any rights to which the 
     Member would have been entitled, as of the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, had separation occurred on such date.
       (f) Regulations.--Any regulations necessary to carry out 
     this section may be prescribed by the Office of Personnel 
     Management and the Executive Director (referred to in section 
     8401(13) of title 5, United States Code) with respect to 
     matters within their respective areas of responsibility.
       (g) Definition.--In this section, the terms ``Member of 
     Congress'' and ``Member'' have the meaning of the term 
     ``Member'' as defined under section 8331(2) or 8401(20) of 
     title 5, United States Code.
       (h) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     considered to apply with respect to any savings plan or other 
     matter outside of subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 
     of title 5, United States Code.

     SEC. 3. DISCLOSURE OF ESTIMATES OF FEDERAL RETIREMENT 
                   BENEFITS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

       (a) In General.--Section 105(a) of the Legislative Branch 
     Appropriations Act, 1965 (2 U.S.C. 104a; Public Law 88-454; 
     78 Stat. 550) is amended by adding at the end the following 
     new paragraph:
       ``(5) The Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the 
     House of Representatives shall include in each report 
     submitted under paragraph (1), with respect to Members of 
     Congress, as applicable--
       ``(A) the total amount of individual contributions made by 
     each Member to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability 
     Fund and the Thrift Savings Fund under chapters 83 and 84 of 
     title 5, United States Code, for all Federal service 
     performed by the Member as a Member of Congress and as a 
     Federal employee;
       ``(B) an estimate of the annuity each Member would be 
     entitled to receive under chapters 83 and 84 of such title 
     based on the earliest possible date to receive annuity 
     payments by reason of retirement (other than disability 
     retirement) which begins after the date of expiration of the 
     term of office such Member is serving; and
       ``(C) any other information necessary to enable the public 
     to accurately compute the Federal retirement benefits of each 
     Member based on various assumptions of years of service and 
     age of separation from service by reason of retirement.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect 1 year 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF AUTOMATIC ANNUITY ADJUSTMENTS FOR 
                   MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

       The portion of the annuity of a Member of Congress which is 
     based solely on service as a Member of Congress shall not be 
     subject to a cost-of-living adjustment under section 8340 or 
     8462 of title 5, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. ELIMINATION OF AUTOMATIC PAY ADJUSTMENTS FOR MEMBERS 
                   OF CONGRESS.

       (a) Pay Adjustments.--Paragraph (2) of section 601(a) of 
     the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31) is 
     repealed.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 601(a)(1) of such Act is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``(a)(1)'' and inserting ``(a)'';
       (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as 
     paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively; and
       (3) by striking ``, as adjusted by paragraph (2) of this 
     subsection''.

     SEC. 6. ROLLCALL VOTE FOR ANY CONGRESSIONAL PAY RAISE.

       It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of 
     Representatives to dispose of any amendment, bill, 
     resolution, motion, or other matter relating to the pay of 
     Members of Congress unless the matter is decided by a 
     rollcall vote.
                                 ______