Former President Barack Obama is on track to become the most expensive ex-president for American taxpayers, since his requested 2018 budget will cost taxpayers $1,153,000, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The Washington Times obtained a memo from the Congressional Research Service that showed the budget requests of all five living ex-presidents, and Obama’s is $100,000 more than former President George W. Bush’s request and $200,000 more than former President Bill Clinton’s.
Former President George H.W. Bush’s expected budget clocks in at $942,000, while Jimmy Carter has the least expensive budget at $456,000.
The Former Presidents Act, enacted in 1958 after former President Harry Truman reportedly went broke after leaving the White House, ensures that all living former presidents are entitled to benefits such as a pension and office space.
Former presidents may also submit budget requests to Congress for additional expenses such as staff salaries, Secret Service protection, and miscellaneous office expenses such as printing costs or communications.
The majority of Obama’s budget will go towards renting his 8,198 square foot office in Washington, DC. Obama’s office will reportedly cost taxpayers $536,000 for 2018 – the most of any ex-president.
Clinton’s New York office is slightly bigger but costs less than Obama’s office, with expenses totaling $518,000 for next year. George W. Bush’s Dallas office costs $497,000, while his father’s Houston office costs taxpayers $286,000. Carter’s office in Atlanta only costs taxpayers $115,000.
Obama also takes home the most in pension payments out of all the living ex-presidents, with his yearly pension totaling $236,000.
Clinton comes in second with a $231,000 pension, while George W. Bush comes in third taking home a $225,000 pension.