{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3739-115/featured_presidential-allowance-modernization-act-of-2017-1510504276.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3739-115/featured_large_presidential-allowance-modernization-act-of-2017-1510504276.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr3739-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-09-12","title_override":"Should Wealthy Former Presidents Have Smaller Allowances?","summary_override":"

This bill would reduce the allowance paid to former U.S. presidents to a maximum of $200,000 per president, indexed to inflation, from about $600,000 each year per president. The Former Presidents Act would be amended to allow each former president to receive a lifetime annual annuity of $200,000 — plus an annual monetary allowance of $200,000 — each adjusted annually for inflation.

The annual allowance would decrease by the amount that a President’s adjusted gross income in a tax year exceeds $400,000. Any former President who holds an appointive or elective position in the federal government that pays more than a nominal amount would be denied the lifetime and annual allowance.

Nothing in this bill would impact the security and protection of a former President or their family members, or the funding to provide that security and protection.

This bill would apply to any former president or the widow of a former president as of the date of enactment.

","official_title":"To amend the Act of August 25, 1958, commonly known as the \"Former Presidents Act of 1958\", with respect to the monetary allowance payable to a former President, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of 2017","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of 2017\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Former Presidents Act of 1958 to to revise provisions governing the compensation provided to a former President. Each former President shall receive from the United States an annuity of $200,000 per year. The General Services Administration (GSA) is authorized to provide each former President a monetary allowance of $500,000 per year for five years beginning six months after the expiration of his or her term, $350,000 per year for the next five years, and $250,000 per year thereafter.\n\nSuch annuity and allowance shall be increased each year by the same percentage as Social Security benefits.\n\nSuch allowance shall be reduced by the amount the former President's earned income exceeds $400,000.\n\nThe bill: (1) limits the office staff provided for each former President to not more than 13 individuals, and (2) requires that suitable office space for a former President be provided on a reimbursable basis.\n\nThe incr...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Former presidents; their surviving spouses; their families; and taxpayers.","argument_for":"Former Presidents earn enough money from giving speeches and writing books, and don't rely on their allowance from the federal government. This bill maintains the payments as a safety net — but saves the money when it isn’t needed.","argument_against":"Former presidents should be richly compensated for their service to the country once they leave office. It may not be their old salary, but these payments represent the nation’s gratitude for the president’s contributions while in office. 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We can’t have former heads of state going broke. That creates desperation. A desperate former president is dangerous to national security ","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/071af6dc-99eb-4c7f-abe7-96279c5e6d83"},"body":"Presidents should get a pension. $200,000 is a good amount. We can’t have former heads of state going broke. That creates desperation. A desperate former president is dangerous to national security ","stance":"yea","created_at":"2017-10-24T14:08:08.601Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/071af6dc-99eb-4c7f-abe7-96279c5e6d83.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr3739-115","user_id":"NZaEDQqZ","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Should Wealthy Former Presidents Have Smaller Allowances?