On Tuesday, voters will narrow the field among almost a dozen candidates running to replace Sue Myrick in Congress.
After nearly two decades of taking up causes, making speeches and winning elections, 9th District Congresswoman Myrick is retiring this year. And when she does, the federal government will give her a generous send-off.
Her 18 years in the House make her eligible for an annual pension of $53,000.
But she will be far from the highest paid former member of Congress.
Republican Newt Gingrich, who served 20 years, is collecting $100,000 a year in pension payments.
Former York County Congressman John Spratt was eligible for $120,000 a year after his 28 years in office ended in 2010.
“It has to leave a sour taste in the taxpayers’ mouths,” Rep. Howard Coble said.
Since Coble took office 28 years ago, he's been introducing bills to abolish or curtail Congressional pensions, including a bill in the House right now. And what's more, for 28 years he's been refusing to take a pension when he retires. Right now it would be more than $80,000 a year.
“I think it's overly lavish -- overly generous and plush,” he said.
And it’s more than other federal employees get.
At the current salary of $174,000, a 20-year Congressman could collect $59,000 a year.
Even at the same salary, other federal employees would collect just $38,000.
Eyewitness News asked the national taxpayers union to explain the disparity.
“This system is an anachronism for a time when people thought members of Congress should be treated specially as a class above that of American workers in the private or public sector,” Pete Sepp said.
Sepp is a major critic of Congressional pensions and said there's no reason now they should be more than any other federal employee gets.
“The time has come to modify those benefits -- bring them back down to Earth,” he said.
But the pension system has its supporters.
Myrick said of her pension, “I haven’t looked at it. But every company has a retirement plan. "
Democrat Mel Watt doesn’t understand the criticism, either.
“I think that's ridiculous, because employees and members of Congress work full-time for the government of the United States,” he said.
“Our job is difficult and demanding. But it's self-inflicted,” Coble said. “Nobody forces me to be in Congress.”
Coble said he will keep fighting for pension reform, even as most of Congress keeps fighting back.
His bill to reform Congressional pensions is stuck in a House committee. But it has prompted another bill that would bring pensions for Congress in line with other federal employees.
More information:
Retirement benefits for members of Congress
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