Nugent Introduces "Congress Isn't a Career Act"

Statement

Today, Rep. Rich Nugent (R-FL-05) announced the introduction of his first piece of legislation, called the "Congress Is Not A Career Act":

"When I was filing all of the employment paperwork prior to being sworn in as a Congressman, I was shocked to learn that I was not permitted to decline the Congressional pension. I was able to decline federally funded health insurance, but not the pension. Apparently, under current law, I am required to take it whether I like it or not.

"In my opinion, my career was in law enforcement -- not in Washington. The health insurance and the retirement benefits I get shouldn't be any different from any other retiree from the Sheriff's office just because I'm a member of Congress now. Under current law, that is not a principle I am allowed to live by and I don't think that's right.

"After consulting with legal experts, I confirmed that the law will need to be changed to allow me to decline Congressional retirement benefits and today, I have introduced legislation that would allow me to do that.

"The bill would allow members of Congress to opt out of the Congressional pension, as well as the federal match to their deferred compensation plan -- commonly known as the TSP. I don't have a problem with contributing a portion of my salary to a deferred compensation plan. That is a standard practice across industries and for somebody my age, it's a responsible thing to do. But under current law, if I decide to contribute my own money to my retirement, I have to accept a full taxpayer-funded match up to 5% of my salary. Worse yet, even if I don't contribute, the federal government is going to put in one percent of my salary anyway. Most men and women in the military don't get a federal match like this. How can I look my three boys in the eye, all of whom are serving in the Army, and say "my service is more valuable than yours -- that's why I get a match to my TSP and you don't'?

"This is a very personal decision for my wife and me. Opting out of federal health benefits is costing us $9,000 extra per year. The pension and the nine grand in insurance savings would be nice to have, but we just don't think that's right. Our goal isn't to impose our views on anybody else, I just think elected officials ought to have the right to decide for themselves. That's what this bill allows us to do."

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