US House bill would cap expenses for ex-presidents

[webfact]

House bill would cap expenses for ex-presidents
By MATTHEW DALY

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and other former presidents who earn lucrative speaking fees and draw other income would no longer be able to count on taxpayer dollars to pay for their post-White House office space and staff under a bill in the House.

On a voice vote, the House Oversight panel backed a measure Tuesday to limit taxpayer dollars for expenses, including travel, incurred by ex-presidents who earn more than $400,000 a year.

U.S. taxpayers paid a total of $3.5 million last year in pensions and benefits to the four living former presidents, including $1.3 million for Bush and $950,000 for Clinton, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service. Most of that money was for sprawling office space in Dallas and New York, respectively.

Both Clinton and Bush, like other ex-presidents before them, have earned millions in speaking fees since leaving office.

The oversight committee acted just days after Hillary Rodham Clinton reported that she and her husband earned more than $30 million combined in speaking fees and book royalties since January 2014. The earnings put the couple in the top one-10th of 1 percent of all Americans.

The House bill would set presidential pensions at $200,000 a year, nearly the same as the current amount, with an additional $200,000 set aside for office space and other expenses. The bill would reduce expense payments by $1 for every dollar above $400,000 earned by a former president.

Under the legislation, ex-presidents who earn more than $600,000 a year would not receive federal funds for office expenses or travel. Presidential pensions would not be affected by the amount of income earned.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Oversight panel and a co-sponsor of the bill, said it was not aimed at anyone, but was a simple matter of fairness.

"History shows that former presidents do very well financially after they leave office," Chaffetz said in a statement before Tuesday's vote. "In fact all former presidents are millionaires, making it unlikely that they depend upon their taxpayer-funded allowance to make ends meet."

Chaffetz, who has introduced similar bills in the past two sessions of Congress, missed Tuesday's vote because of an emergency operation to remove his gall bladder.

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the senior Democrat on the panel, co-sponsored the latest measure with Chaffetz.

"Taxpayers should not have to pay for a former president's allowance if the former president is making a comfortable living earning more than $400,000 a year after leaving office," Cummings said.

The report by the Congressional Research Service said taxpayers paid more than $420,000 last year for Bush's 8,237-square-feet office in Dallas. Clinton's 8,300-square-feet space in New York cost nearly $415,000.

Taxpayers also shelled out nearly $180,000 for office space in Houston for George H.W. Bush and $109,000 for work space in Atlanta for Jimmy Carter.

Carter, who left office in 1981, received a total of $470,000 in pensions and benefits last year, while George H.W. Bush received $837,000. He left office in 1989.

The totals do not include money spent by the Secret Service to protect the former presidents and their families. The House bill would not affect Secret Service protection.

Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., called the bill "a very good bill, a very necessary bill, given what we've seen going on here."

Grothman said it was important to reduce federal payments to ex-presidents as the income of those "trading on their office" increased.

"Hopefully it will restore some dignity to the office of ex-president," Grothman said.

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign reported Friday that the couple amassed more than $25 million in speaking fees and that Hillary Clinton earned more than $5 million from her 2014 memoir, "Hard Choices."

Bush has earned at least $15 million for more than 140 paid speeches since he left office in 2009.

The Former President's Act was passed in 1958 after Congress learned of financial difficulties faced by Harry Truman, who left office in 1953. Truman complained that it cost him $30,000 a year to reply to letters and requests for speeches, the report said.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-05-20

[Seastallion]

Sounds fair and reasonable. Actually, it's still generous. Income-tested state benefits are common sense and should apply to any citizen.

Good to see this sort of belt tightening coming from Republicans. I must admit that there is a niggling suspicion in the back of my mind that the sponsors of this bill know full well that Obama will earn a heck of a lot more in speaking jaunts than Bush ever did or would.

[maidee]

they give speaches of 250.000$ a piece, but they still need pensions?

did bush family not make enough billions with their fake wars they started ?

they really did start IS by their actions

[mesquite]

It's an entirely political issue. The amount of money spent on ex-US presidents is tiny compared to all the other stuff.

[puck2]

Bush has earned at least $15 million for more than 140 paid speeches since he left office in 2009.

Many years ago I read in a German magazin that G.W. Bush would like to do the same as B.Clinton - after retiring. Cashing in for speeches.

After reading this article I

In Germany he wouldn't earn any US $ (for using a telepromtor). He would have to pay pain and suffering money to each audience member in order to attract some listeners - except for journalists because they are used to.

Maybe, all auditors had to take off their shoes before entering the hall.

Edited May 20, 2015 by puck2

[wwest5829]

And now, let's see the related amendment attached calling for a like restriction on the items for retired Senators and Representatives!

[elgordo38]

they give speaches of 250.000$ a piece, but they still need pensions?

did bush family not make enough billions with their fake wars they started ?

they really did start IS by their actions

No the Bush family did not make billions with their fake wars they only started them. Their large financial contributors the arms producers/sellers made the billions. Being president is just the first rung the big money comes after he/she retires the pension, speeches, sitting on company boards, lobbying, advice giving and receiving re good stock investments and on and on and on. Every time they open their mouths money rolls into their bank accounts. Sadly no one holds them accountable for all of their misdeeds. Yes they truly win the lottery.

[elgordo38]

It's an entirely political issue. The amount of money spent on ex-US presidents is tiny compared to all the other stuff.

Small things soon add up. At least they take on the pretense of trying to protect the taxpayer. Our knights in shining armor.

[Publicus]

The Bush Dynasty alone has collected tens of millions of taxpayer bucks covering salary, expenses, retirement and expenses, from the old man's daze as CIA director, ambassador to the PRChina, vice president, president.

Included in the Bush Dynasty's multiple tens of millions of taxpayer monies are shrub Bush's only success in life from the 2000 hanging chad election in Florida where bro JEB was governor, and then also JEB's take in salary, expenses, pension from having been governor, and the taxpayer is a Bush Dynasty personal ATM from back in the 1970s to well into the 21st century.

Then go back to the original old man Prescott Bush and there's more millions already long down the hole.

There should be a new tv program in the US, Dole Dynasty.

[cloudhopper]

they give speaches of 250.000$ a piece, but they still need pensions?

did bush family not make enough billions with their fake wars they started ?

they really did start IS by their actions

No the Bush family did not make billions with their fake wars they only started them. Their large financial contributors the arms producers/sellers made the billions. Being president is just the first rung the big money comes after he/she retires the pension, speeches, sitting on company boards, lobbying, advice giving and receiving re good stock investments and on and on and on. Every time they open their mouths money rolls into their bank accounts. Sadly no one holds them accountable for all of their misdeeds. Yes they truly win the lottery.

"Speaking fees" are how ex-presidents are paid back by the oligarchy for their whoring while in office. It's the way Bill Clinton was paid for pardoning Marc Rich.

[Berkshire]

No complaints. Now if Congress can take a look at congressional pension and other congressional perks, then we could really save some big $$.

[Credo]

They do get a lot of money, but Bush Jr. is sort of a prisoner in the US. He can't travel very far because I think a lot of the rest of the world is gunning for him. There probably isn't a Thatcher waiting to save his behind like Pinochet.