In the opening week of the 115th Congress, U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., brought out a proposal to make sure members of Congress convicted of felonies while in office are denied their pensions.
On Thursday, Yoho introduced the “Trust Restored to the United States (TRUST) Act." The proposal would “eliminate the taxpayer-funded portions of congressional pensions for members of Congress who are convicted of a felony while serving.”
After introducing the legislation, Yoho explained why it was needed.
“Members of Congress are employed by the American people and they entrust us with their hard-earned tax dollars,” Yoho said after unveiling his proposal. “We need to show them that we will hold ourselves accountable and that we are not above the law. As a chamber, we should show the American people that we will not hold ourselves to a different standard than we expect them to be held.
“The TRUST Act eliminates the taxpayer-funded portion of congressional pensions for members of Congress who are convicted of a felony while serving,” Yoho added. “At a time of record high debt and record low approval ratings, congressional pensions for felons should not be on the American taxpayer’s tab. Let us hold ourselves accountable to our employers.”
Yoho rounded up 10 co-sponsors including Republicans like U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrats like U.S. Reps. Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Administration and the Oversight and Government Reform Committees. So far, there is no related measure in the U.S. Senate.
Yoho is not the only Florida Republican to focus on congressional pensions during the first week of the new Congress. U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., once again brought out the “End Pensions in Congress (EPIC) Act.” First introduced in 2015, DeSantis’ bill would ensure future members of Congress do not receive pensions and would prevent current members, including DeSantis himself, who are currently not vested in the system, from receiving pensions.
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