A defined benefit pension is based on longevity. The determination of the pension benefit is based on years of service on the job and pay.
The very concept is contradictory to being an elected official. Congress was never intended to be a career and yet we encourage that by having a retirement system for members of Congress.
To obtain any benefit from the system requires voters to re-elect members of the House at least twice and a Senator at least once. Giving the longevity of many Members, we are pretty good at that.
Rather than encouraging career politics, we should restructure the compensation package to make it more feasible for average Americans to serve and then to return to private life.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Why should I let you guys determine who I can vote for? If you don’t like what your Congressman does, vote against him but don’t tell me how I must vote.
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I love the idea of no Congressional pension! Also term limits! Those idiots don’t deserve any special attention. I also support the previous replys; good ideas folks.don
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Does anyone remember the Republican Party’s 1994 ‘Contract with America’? Signatories to the Contract promised to abide by self-imposed term limits. Of course, none of them did. My own Representative signed it, was elected, and then retired 20 years later.
The Repubs did submit an amendment to the Constitution in the spring 1995, but it failed in the House when only about 83% of Republicans and 15% of Democrats voted for it . From Wikipedia:
The Citizen Legislature Act
An amendment to the Constitution that would have imposed 12-year term limits on members of the US Congress (i.e. six terms for Representatives, two terms for Senators). H.J.Res. 73 rejected by the U.S. House 227–204 (a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority, not a simple majority), March 29, 1995; RC #277.
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I agree and in addition I believe we need to seriously consider term limits for all members of Congress. Perhaps House members should have a three year term and be allowed to serve no more than three terms and senators should have the current 6 year term but be allowed no more than two terms. The Congressional staff are career employees and are not elected and they run the day to day doings so these elected officials would just be lawmakers and not constantly running for office. The current policy of a two year term seems ludicrous to me as they are constantly electioneering. Of course these things will not change if we depend on the members to enact any change so it will be up to non- politicians to get the proposal placed on the voter ballots in each state in order to see this change brought to fruiuion but now with all the rancor in politics might be the right time to see this happen.
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I totally agree…that is the biggest malady of our current Legislative branch…a few, very senior individuals control it all…
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I totally agree. However, since they are giving up their prior jobs, I am willing to let the government contribute $6000 to an IRA or a Roth IRA ($7K if over 50) with no match. Just like they expect low wage earners to do.
Not everybody can afford to contribute that much to an IRA, especially when they first start working or have children. But if they find themselves in a position later in life, people should be allowed to tribute up to the 401K limit of $19,500 / $26,000 over 50. It is only “fair”.
Maybe when they realize how little $6k per year is to fund a retirement they will change the law for everybody.
I am all for term limits but I wonder if they would actually do any good? I am not picking on any one party with the following but; some big democratically control cities have been under one party control, some for half a century and longer, with no improvement. So, the question is who is really pulling the strings on the politicians? Our we just voting for a puppet or the actual person who runs? Without the parties endorsement, they do not get access to the party’s money and resources. So who is controlling the money? We need to find to get rid of super PACs too.
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All the things Congress votes on, they get regardless. A pension, which is nonexistent in most careers now adays. And free healthcare for life. which us normal people have to pay for. If they had play and pay with the rest of us, perhaps they might vote differently.
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