House Votes To Revoke Pensions of Convicted Members

WASHINGTON — The House, responding to the recent guilty pleas of two former members, voted yesterday to strip federal pensions from lawmakers convicted of conspiracy, bribery, and perjury.

The measure, similar to a provision attached to Senate ethics legislation that was approved last week, passed 431–0. The House bill was sponsored by Rep. Nancy Boyda, a Democrat of Kansas, who upset five-term Republican Jim Ryun on November 7 in a district that cast 59% of its votes for President Bush in 2004.

Ms. Boyda said congressional scandals were an issue in her victory and that Democrats must honor a pledge to improve the ethical climate in Washington.

"The theme of the campaign was that big money controls Congress," she said. "There was very much of a mandate from the voters that something has to change."

Democrats, capturing control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years, accused Republicans of fostering a "culture of corruption" and promised reforms to punish wrongdoing and limit the influence of lobbyists.

The pension legislation wouldn't apply retroactively, meaning it wouldn't affect the two former House members convicted on corruption charges.

Last week, Bob Ney, a Republican of Ohio who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Ney confessed that he took gifts from lobbyist Jack Abramoff in exchange for legislative favors.

Last year, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a Republican of California, began serving a prison term of more than eight years for conspiracy and tax evasion. Cunningham confessed to taking $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for steering government funds to defense contractors. Cunningham is eligible for an annual pension of $64,000. Once Ney becomes eligible in 2016, he could receive $29,000 annually, according to the Alexandria, Va.-based National Taxpayers Union, a watchdog group. Former members also receive regular cost-of-living increases for their pensions.

"We do not believe" retroactive application of the pension measure "would stand up constitutionally," the House speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, said.