Pension Tension
This time, a lawmaker targets his colleagues instead of the federal workforce.
A House lawmaker on Wednesday launched another attack on federal retirement plans, but this time congressional pensions are the target.
Every time a politician utters the word "pension," the level of anxiety spikes among members of the federal workforce. The latest bill sponsored by Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., should (slightly) mollify readers who have questioned the willingness of Congress to sacrifice along with other government employees.
Coble's legislation would require new members of Congress to serve for at least a dozen years before they vest into the congressional pension program. It also would ensure that members do not receive other pension benefits until they've served 12 years under the dome.
"When all the debate in Washington is about sacrifice and how Americans may have to do more with less in the future, members of Congress are noticeably silent about what sacrifices they are willing to make," said Coble, who does not participate in the congressional pension system.
Under the Federal Employees' Retirement System, lawmakers are eligible for an immediate, full pension at age 62 or older, if they have completed at least five years of service; they are eligible at age 50 or older if they've served 20 years, or at any age after completing 25 years of federal service. Under the Civil Service Retirement System, members of Congress are eligible for an immediate, full pension at age 60 or older, after a decade of service, or age 62 after five years of federal service.
The amount of a lawmaker's pension depends on the number of years of service and the average of the highest three years of salary. Lawmakers typically become eligible for retirement annuities at an earlier age and with fewer years of service than most other federal employees but also pay more of their salary for retirement benefits.
Coble's bill would apply to new lawmakers beginning in the 113th Congress. "I am hopeful that with all of the new members who have come to Washington in recent years, the time is right to take this new, forward-looking approach to excessive congressional benefits -- and the pension program is the biggest perk known to me," the Republican said.
In April, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, introduced legislation that would require congressional lawmakers to wait until they reach the Social Security retirement age to access their federal annuity benefits.
According to a January report from the Congressional Research Service, 455 retired members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service, as of Oct. 1, 2009. But the report said the average age of those receiving benefits under CSRS in 2009 was 79; for those under FERS, it was 69.
Domestic Partner Benefits
The government will publish some proposed rules Thursday that expand benefits to the domestic partners and children of federal employees.
One rule clarifies that the children of same-sex domestic partners are eligible for federal child care subsidies and services, where appropriate, in the same way as children of heterosexual domestic partnerships. Another draft regulation from the Office of Personnel Management would grant domestic partners and children of federal employees access to alcohol and drug abuse recovery programs.
OPM also will publish a rule on Thursday that would ensure domestic partners of feds and their children have the same access as opposite-sex spouses and dependents to evacuation pay and separate maintenance allowance for duty on Johnston Island, which is off the coast of Hawaii in the North Pacific Ocean.
In addition, the Federal Register will publish a proposed rule that would allow an employee's same-sex domestic partner to qualify for eligibility for noncompetitive appointment based on overseas employment.
In June 2010, President Obama ordered federal agencies to extend a range of benefits to same-sex domestic partners of their employees.