Former Congressmen Tap Big Paydays as Lobbyists and Collecting Congressional Pensions
They exited Congress, moved to K Street and still collect a Congressional pension.
Many previous Congressmen are procuring eye-popping compensations
capitalizing on their Capitol associations as lobbyists, even as they
accept congressional annuities that, on the whole, cost citizens about
well over 20 dollars million a year. And, it is perfectly legitimate. Indeed, most Congressmen can't quit the annuity framework.
However, as more Congress members leave office for occupations as
lobbyist, where they can tap salaries of $750,000, present sitting
Congress members are saying it is time to address this issue.
Rep. Steve Israel of New York believes that receiving a tax payer
funded retirement check while also lobbying the Congressional body is “an insidious form of double dipping.”
Democrat Israel has introduced a bill that would limit Congressional
pensions. The bill would deny former Congress members, who are earning
one million dollars as a lobbyist, the Congressional pension.
Rep. Richard Hanna, a GOP house member, is a a co-sponsor of Israel's bill.
The bill is limited to members who become registered lobbyists and
does not address former Congressional officeholders who advise
corporations.
Presently, the bill is just sitting in Congress with no action.
Lee Drutman, who studies lobbying for the Sunshine Foundations, bluntly stated, "Congress will never pass it."
While it might be an uphill battle,
Israel believes that his bill calls attention to an issue that has no
valid oppositional argument .
Current sitting members of Congress now earn $175,000 a year. In
addition to the tax payers funding those salaries, they are also on the
hook for pension payments to 527 former members. Based on Congressional
Research Bureau data, the average Congressional pension is $59,000
which adds $31,093,000 to the budget on top of the $93,625,000 for the
535 sitting members of Congress.
In 1974 approximately 3% of Congressional members gravitated to
lobbying after they left Congress. That number has jumped almost 47% in
recent years with nearly 50% of former members now collecting a
Congressional pension and also engaged in lobbying Congress. In
"Revolving Door Report", Sunlight Foundation indicates that there are
approximately 415 former members of Congress engaged in lobbying
efforts. Those 415 members are also collecting an average of
$24,485,000 as Congressional pensions.
Most firms don't disclose salaries of the lobbyist but on occasion news items shine a light on specific former members:
- Louisiana Republican Billy Tauzin reportedly was paid roughly $20 million by the pharmaceutical organizations from 2006 to 2010
- Former Senator Tom Daschle, a Democrat, reported that he earned $2.1 from lobbying activity when he was nominated to Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in 2009
- Oklahoman Steve Largent, a Republican, left Congress to earn $1.5 million lobbying for cell phone company trade groups it was disclosed
- Democrat Ben Nelson has earns almost $1 million heading up the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
- Chris Dodd, a former Senate Democrat, pulled in $3.3 million in 2012 representing Hollywood interests in Washington
Double dipping or a legitimate earned pension? If Congress takes up the Israel bill, perhaps the situation will be clarified.
by: Dee Lutz
National Administrator
National Administrator
reference: New York Times
No comments:
Post a Comment