Bera honors pledge to refuse pension until Medicare, Social Security are secure

Press Release

Today, while in Elk Grove to celebrate March for Meals month with local seniors, Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. announced that he's returning his 2014 pension to the U.S. Treasury to pay down the U.S. debt, keeping the oath he made to the people of Sacramento County to decline his Congressional pension until Medicare and Social Security are secure.

"Yesterday, the House took a major step to protect and strengthen Medicare, passing a milestone bill to fix its payment system," said Bera. "But we still have work to do to make sure Medicare and Social Security are secure for this generation and the next. I've pledged to not take a Congressional pension until Medicare and Social Security are secure because Sacramento County families shouldn't be forced to pay for my retirement when many of theirs are still vulnerable. Instead, I'm putting that money toward paying down this country's mounting debt--another issue that Congress needs to make a top priority."

Bera wrote and sent a check to the United States Treasury Bureau of the Public Debt for $4,914.53, the pension amount he accrued during 2014. He also returned his 2013 pension earnings last March.

In addition to announcing his pension return, Bera served food and spoke with the seniors at the Elk Grove Senior Center for an ACC Meals on Wheels program. He discussed how his office can help seniors having issues with federal agencies like Social Security and Medicare and about the House's recent vote for a bipartisan, historic package to repeal and reform the flawed Medicare payment system known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) and how it will help them.

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