[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7151-H7153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NO CONGRESSIONALLY OBLIGATED RECURRING REVENUE USED AS PENSIONS TO
INCARCERATED OFFICIALS NOW ACT
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 932) to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the halt
in pension payments for Members of Congress sentenced for certain
offenses, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 932
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 ``No Congressionally Obligated
Recurring Revenue Used as Pensions To Incarcerated Officials
Now Act'' or the ``No CORRUPTION Act''.
SEC. 2. FORFEITURE OF PENSION.
(a) In General.--Section 8332(o) of title 5, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) as
paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively;
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), an individual
convicted of an offense described in paragraph (2) shall not
be eligible to receive any payment of an annuity pursuant to
the retirement system under this subchapter or chapter 84,
except that this sentence applies only to such payments based
on service rendered as a Member (irrespective of when
rendered).
``(B) If the conviction of an individual described in
subparagraph (A) is overturned on appeal by a court of
competent jurisdiction, the individual shall receive payments
that the individual would have received but for the
application of subparagraph (A).
``(C) This paragraph applies only to a conviction that
occurs after the date of enactment of the No Congressionally
Obligated
[[Page H7152]]
Recurring Revenue Used as Pensions To Incarcerated Officials
Now Act.'';
(3) in paragraph (5)(B)(i), as so redesignated, by striking
``paragraph (5)'' and inserting ``paragraph (6)''; and
(4) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking
``paragraph (4)(B)'' and inserting ``paragraph (5)(B)''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 719(e)(2)
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking
``section 8332(o)(5)'' and inserting ``section 8332(o)(6)''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
submit extraneous material on the bill, S. 932, the No CORRUPTION Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this measure will halt annuity payments for Members of
Congress sentenced for public corruption charges. This includes charges
of bribery of public officials and witnesses, acting as an agent of a
foreign principal, or engaging in conspiracy to commit an offense to
defraud the United States.
Under current law, a Member of Congress who is convicted on public
corruption charges is prohibited from receiving their congressional
pension. That said, Members may continue receiving pension payments
while appealing their conviction.
The No CORRUPTION Act addresses this gap and will withhold pension
payments immediately upon conviction. If the conviction is overturned
on appeal, the pension will be restored. The Member will be able to
receive any benefits withheld.
This is a commonsense measure for the House to consider and pass.
Let's be clear: A Member of Congress convicted of public corruption
charges should not be paid at taxpayer expense. The bipartisan measure
was introduced by Senators Rick Scott and Jacky Rosen and passed the
Senate this summer. I am pleased to bring the measure forward to ensure
accountability for Members of Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of S. 932, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 932.
Passed with unanimous consent by the Senate, S. 932 will close
loopholes and tighten an already existing prohibition on Members
collecting retirement benefits that were accrued during their time in
Congress if they are convicted of a crime of public corruption
committed during congressional service.
Currently, convicted former Members can continue to collect their
government pension while going through the judicial appeals process.
This bill ends that practice.
Public service is often referred to as a ``higher calling,'' and
there is no greater professional privilege than to be elected to this
body. By sending us here, our constituents place an enormous amount of
trust in us, and it is our obligation to reward that trust by carrying
out our constitutional responsibilities to them with honor and
integrity.
That is the contract we agree to when we ask for someone's vote and
they give it to us. That compact is the keystone of a legitimate
government. It is what separates a democracy from a kleptocracy.
The overwhelming majority of our colleagues who serve do so with
integrity. They are here for the right reasons. They honor the oath we
all swear. They use the powers of the office to further the interests
of their constituents, not to unjustly enrich themselves.
For those who don't, we must send a clear and unequivocal message
that corruption will not be tolerated. For the sake of the country, it
cannot be tolerated, and this bill sends that message.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina
(Mr. Norman), my friend, for his leadership on this as well as all my
colleagues. I certainly thank the chair for his bipartisan work on
this.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South
Carolina (Mr. Norman) to speak on the bill.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Steil and Congressman
Morelle for leading the charge on this.
Like many things, the public does not know the dollars that are going
to politicians who corrupt the system, game the system, and then get
paid for it, as Congressman Steil and Congressman Morelle mentioned.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Senate companion to my
legislation, the No CORRUPTION Act. This legislation gives us an
opportunity to rectify the abuse of taxpayer dollars.
Under current law, Members of Congress who have been convicted of
various crimes related to public corruption remain eligible to receive
a taxpayer-funded pension until all avenues have been exhausted. This
can take years, and it has taken years. Even if the appeal is
unsuccessful, there is no clawback on the funds that have been wrongly
paid. It is in the hands of the politician who violated their oath when
they came to Congress.
The No CORRUPTION Act fixes that loophole by immediately stripping a
Member's pension upon initial conviction rather than final conviction.
If an appeal was successful, the money halted by this legislation would
be paid back fully so the Member is not out the money.
With this simple reform, taxpayer money is not given to criminals,
and the interest of taxpayers is balanced with the rights of the
accused.
Americans would be outraged if they knew about the various perks that
former Members of Congress, many who have been in the news recently,
receive. Pension payments to those who have been convicted of a crime
is yet another example of wasteful spending that needs to be
terminated, and it needs to be terminated now.
It is time for Members of Congress to start acting like everyday
Americans, not elite politicians sheltered by their own rules.
Those who serve in Congress--and it is such an honor to serve in this
body--should be held to the highest of standards in order to instill
trust and confidence in our government. Anyone who does not measure up
should not receive a taxpayer-funded pension, which for some Members
can surpass $70,000 per year.
The Speaker pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from South Carolina.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Senators Jacky Rosen and Rick Scott
for their bipartisan work in getting this legislation passed by
unanimous consent in the Senate, and I urge my colleagues to do the
same and pass it.
{time} 1430
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I again thank my friend, Mr. Norman, for
doing this. I think most people watching this would find it hard to
believe this wasn't already the law of the United States, but we are
going to do that. I thank him for his leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I will simply say that this is important in building and
rebuilding the trust that Americans, in some cases, have lost in this
institution. I am grateful for this.
I thank my colleague and dear friend, the chairman of this committee,
for bringing the bill forward. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague, Mr. Norman, for
his work on this commonsense legislation. It is good to see, in the
home stretch of the year, that we are still able to get some
commonsense legislation across the floor of the House and, hopefully,
signed into law in the near future, as this bill already passed the
Senate.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 932.
[[Page H7153]]
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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