No Congressionally Obligated Recurring Revenue Used As Pensions to Incarcerated Officials Now Act
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 932.
Passed with unanimous consent by the Senate, S. 932 will close loopholes and tighten an already existing prohibition on Members collecting retirement benefits that were accrued during their time in Congress if they are convicted of a crime of public corruption committed during congressional service.
Currently, convicted former Members can continue to collect their government pension while going through the judicial appeals process.
This bill ends that practice.
Public service is often referred to as a ``higher calling,'' and there is no greater professional privilege than to be elected to this body. By sending us here, our constituents place an enormous amount of trust in us, and it is our obligation to reward that trust by carrying out our constitutional responsibilities to them with honor and integrity.
That is the contract we agree to when we ask for someone's vote and they give it to us. That compact is the keystone of a legitimate government. It is what separates a democracy from a kleptocracy.
The overwhelming majority of our colleagues who serve do so with integrity. They are here for the right reasons. They honor the oath we all swear. They use the powers of the office to further the interests of their constituents, not to unjustly enrich themselves.
For those who don't, we must send a clear and unequivocal message that corruption will not be tolerated. For the sake of the country, it cannot be tolerated, and this bill sends that message.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman), my friend, for his leadership on this as well as all my colleagues. I certainly thank the chair for his bipartisan work on this.
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Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I again thank my friend, Mr. Norman, for doing this. I think most people watching this would find it hard to believe this wasn't already the law of the United States, but we are going to do that. I thank him for his leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I will simply say that this is important in building and rebuilding the trust that Americans, in some cases, have lost in this institution. I am grateful for this.
I thank my colleague and dear friend, the chairman of this committee, for bringing the bill forward. I yield back the balance of my time.
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