Reps. Craig, Nunn Introduce Bill to Withhold Retirement Benefits from Members of Congress Who Violate their Oath of Office

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Zach Nunn (IA-03) Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) and Young Kim (R-CA-40) introduced legislation to prevent Members of Congress who engage in misconduct from receiving taxpayer-funded retirement benefits. Their Congressional Pension Accountability Act would close loopholes that currently allow Members of Congress who have committed serious ethics violations to continue receiving a pension. 

Under current law, pension forfeiture is largely limited to Members who were convicted of crimes but does not apply to those who resign after the House Ethics Committee determines they committed an ethics violation. This bill would change that and ensure that the law applies consistently across all federal retirement systems available to Members of Congress, including the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).

“It’s past time we start holding Members of Congress accountable for violating their oath of office,” said Rep. Craig. “Minnesota taxpayers shouldn’t be paying disgraced Members of Congress even after they leave office. It’s just common sense. I’m proud to be partnering with Rep. Nunn on a bill that will help clean up Washington and restore trust in our government.”

Since Rep. Craig came to Congress, she has been working to fix a broken Washington and hold Members of Congress accountable. She has repeatedly led legislation to ban Members of Congress from trading stocks and was one of seven Members who launched the End Corruption Now agenda in Congress – a package of six bills that would put power back in the hands of the American people.  

Last year, she reintroduced her NO STOCK Resolution, which would require every sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives to immediately sell their individual stocks and refrain from future stock ownership while in Congress. And earlier this Congress, she reintroduced her Halt Unchecked Member Benefits with Lobbying Elimination (HUMBLE) Act – a broader package of reforms that would prevent Members of Congress from using their position to enrich themselves. 

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