WASHINGTON – A group of fiscally conservative Republican congressmen is fighting to take away John Boehner’s taxpayer-funded retirement benefits.
Speakers of the House, it turns out, get good pensions.
Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Newt Gingrich and others qualify for one of the most exclusive privileges in the federal government. They get to keep offices in the U.S. Capitol for five years, with all the taxpayer-funded staff and office supplies money can buy.
Irish-American Democratic Speaker of the House John McCormack (1962-71) was responsible for this government program and was also its first beneficiary. Dennis Hastert spent $1.9 million from Uncle Sam’s purse on his office fees.
The measure to de-authorize Boehner’s “Golden Years” office is proposed by Rep. Walter Jones and co-sponsored by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ted Yoho, who held a presser at the Capitol Tuesday.
“I’m confident that when we get this legislation to the floor, every member of Congress will vote with us to eliminate this waste of taxpayer dollars,” Massie told reporters. “This week’s omnibus presents an immediate opportunity to defund the ex-speaker’s office, but the most probable vehicle is an amendment containing Mr. Jones’ legislation, that we can offer next summer during the appropriations debate.”
“They are no longer a member of Congress,” said Jones.