House Lawmakers Deny Pensions to Felons

Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., said he was unable to offer an amendment adding other public corruption felonies to those triggering pension forfeiture, including income tax evasion, wire fraud, intimidation to secure contributions and racketeering.

Republicans, denied opportunities to offer amendments in the first weeks of Democratic rule, also lashed out at last-minute Democratic tinkering on provisions including when the bill would take effect. "How this bill has come to the floor is an abomination of the rules," said Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

The legislation does allow the lawmaker to recoup personal contributions made to 401(k)-type plans and gives the director of the Office of Personnel Management authority, depending on circumstances, to provide benefits to the spouse and children of a convicted lawmaker.

Because it is not retroactive, the bill would exempt about 20 former lawmakers who ran afoul of the law and may be collecting benefits, according to the National Taxpayers Union.

Among those is Rep. John Murphy, D-N.Y., convicted in the ABSCAM scandal in 1980 and eligible for about $79,000, and Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., who served 15 months in prison after pleading guilty in 1996 to two mail fraud charges but is potentially receiving benefits of $126,000.

Exact figures for pensions are not available because participation in pension programs is voluntary and payouts are not a matter of public record.

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The bill is H.R. 476

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