Trust Act

Floor Speech

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share something that has been at my heart and will, in the coming days, be at the heart of my first bill introduced in the House. When Members of Congress break the law, they break trust: they break trust with their colleagues, hurting our ability to work together; they break trust with the American people who sent them here; and they break trust with the Constitution they swore to uphold.

I will be introducing the Trust Act. This bill is simple. It does not distinguish between types of offenses or the possible reasons behind them. It makes clear that a Member of Congress convicted of any felony will forfeit the taxpayer-funded portion of their pension.

If our servicemen and -women who lay their life on the line for our Nation lose their pension with a dishonorable discharge, should not Members of Congress be held to the same standard?

These days with public opinion of Congress at record lows and public debt at record highs, the Trust Act is a place to start in restoring the faith of the American people to their government. I am pleased to present this opportunity to my colleagues to restore trust to taxpayers, and I ask them to join me in this effort.

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