WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen’s (D-NV) bipartisan bill to punish corrupt politicians and protect taxpayer dollars passed the House of Representatives and now heads to the President to be signed into law. The bipartisan No Congressionally Obligated Recurring Revenue Used As Pensions to Incarcerated Officials Now (No CORRUPTION) Act, which Senator Rosen introduced, and the Senate passed last year, will prevent Members of Congress from collecting taxpayer-funded pensions if they are convicted of a felony related to public corruption, even if they continue to drag out the appeals process.
Politico: Inside Congress: No Pensions for Convicted Lawmakers Bill off to White House
By Anthony Adragna
- The House passed bipartisan legislation on Monday barring members of Congress convicted of major felonies related to their official duties from receiving taxpayer pensions, sending the bill to President Joe Biden.
- “No member of Congress who’s convicted of a felony related to their time in office should receive a pension from American taxpayers,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who sponsored the bill with Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
- Federal law only forces convicted members to give up their pensions once they exhaust all of their appeals. The legislation would immediately cut off the pensions, thereby removing an incentive to drag out the appeals process.
Washington Examiner: House votes to strip felon lawmakers of their taxpayer-funded pensions
By David Sivak
- The House unanimously passed legislation Monday to deny lawmakers their taxpayer-funded pensions if convicted of using their office to commit corruption-related offenses.
- Under current law, convicted lawmakers can continue to receive pension payments as long as their case is making its way through the courts, a “loophole” the bill’s sponsors said incentivizes lawmakers to drag out the appeals process.
- The No Corruption Act, introduced by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Rick Scott (R-FL), cuts off those payments upon the initial finding of guilt, with the pension restored only if an appeals court overturns the conviction.
- A presidential pardon is not enough to restore a lawmaker’s pension.
- “For too long, corrupt Washington politicians have been exploiting a loophole in the system to continue to collect taxpayer-funded pensions even after they have been convicted of felonies,” Rosen said in a statement. “I’m proud to see that my bipartisan legislation with Senator Scott to protect taxpayers’ money by closing this loophole has passed the House of Representatives, and it’s on its way to be signed into law.”
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Rosen’s anti-corruption bill heads to president’s desk
By Jessica Hill
- Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen announced this week that her bill aimed to punish corrupt politicians passed both congressional chambers and was sent to the president to sign into law.
- The No “Congressional Obligated Recurring Revenue Used As Pensions to Incarcerated Officials Now” (CORRUPTION) Act, will prevent members of Congress from collecting taxpayer-funded pensions if they are convicted of a felony related to corruption, even if they drag out the appeals process.
- “If you’re a lawmaker that’s been convicted of a felony, there’s literally no way you should be getting your government funded pension, which is getting paid by the American taxpayer,” Rosen said.
- “People can’t pay their own bills,” the senator said. “Why should they be supporting someone who’s broken the law, been convicted of a felony, who might be going through appeal after appeal and just getting that pension the whole time?”
KTVN Reno: Rosen bipartisan bill punishes corrupt politicians
Anchor: “Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen’s No CORRUPTION Act is now heading to the President’s desk. It prevents members of Congress from collecting taxpayer-funded pensions if they are convicted of a felony related to public corruption.”
JSR: “Let me tell you, people work hard to pay their taxes and nobody, nobody wants a lawmaker convicted of a felony [to get] that pension.”
Anchor: “Current law allows former members of Congress who are convicted of a felony to retain their pensions until they exhaust their appeals, enabling them to collect taxpayer-funded benefits for years. The No CORRUPTION Act seeks to change that, ensuring they lose their pensions immediately upon conviction of specific official-duty-related felonies.”
KLAS Las Vegas: Rosen’s No CORRUPTION Act Heads to President’s Desk
Anchor: “A bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate from Nevada Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen now headed to the President’s desk. If signed, that law closes a loophole so former members of Congress lose their pension if they’re convicted of certain felonies.”
JSR: “They don’t want folks to get away [with] taking advantage of the system. And then they’re going to be in jail, and getting a pension that somebody sitting at their kitchen table, worried about their monthly bills, is paying their pension and maybe they’re having trouble buying their groceries. So, it’s just a message. It’s important.”
KSNV Las Vegas: Rosen bipartisan bill to punish corrupt politicians heads to President’s desk
Anchor: “Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada celebrating a major win as Congress passes her proposed No CORRUPTION Act. That bill prevents former members of Congress who were convicted of a crime from collecting their pensions. It comes after investigations into expelled Congressmen George Santos and Bob Menendez. The bill is now on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”
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