I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 436
To eliminate certain benefits for Members of Congress.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 9, 1997
Mr. SANFORD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Commit-
tee on House Oversight, and in addition to the Committees on Govern-
ment Reform and Oversight, Rules, Transportation and Infrastructure,
and National Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To eliminate certain benefits for Members of Congress.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Citizen Congress Act’’.
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON RETIREMENT COVERAGE FOR MEM-
BERS OF CONGRESS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, effective at the beginning of the Congress next
beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act, a
Member of Congress shall be ineligible to participate in
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the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Em-
ployees’ Retirement System, except as otherwise provided
under this section.
(b) PARTICIPATION
IN
THE
THRIFT
SAVINGS
PLAN.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), a Member may
participate in the Thrift Savings Plan subject to section
8351 of title 5, United States Code.
(c) REFUNDS OF CONTRIBUTIONS.—(1) Nothing in
subsection (a) shall prevent refunds from being made, in
accordance with otherwise applicable provisions of law (in-
cluding those relating to the Thrift Savings Plan), on ac-
count of an individual’s becoming ineligible to participate
in the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Em-
ployees’ Retirement System (as the case may be) as a re-
sult of the enactment of this section.
(2) For purposes of any refund referred to in para-
graph (1), a Member who so becomes ineligible to partici-
pate in either of the retirement systems referred to in
paragraph (1) shall be treated in the same way as if sepa-
rated from service.
(d) ANNUITIES NOT AFFECTED TO THE EXTENT
BASED ON PRIOR SERVICE.—Subsection (a) shall not be
considered to affect—
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(1) any annuity (or other benefit) entitlement
to which is based on a separation from service occur-
ring before the date of the enactment of this Act (in-
cluding any survivor annuity based on the death of
the individual who so separated); or
(2) any other annuity (or benefit), to the extent
provided under subsection (e).
(e) PRESERVATIONS OF RIGHTS BASED ON PRIOR
SERVICE.—(1) For purposes of determining eligibility for,
or the amount of, any annuity (or other benefit) referred
to in subsection (d)(2) based on service as a Member of
Congress—
(A) all service as a Member of Congress shall
be disregarded except for any such service performed
before the date of the enactment of this Act; and
(B) all pay for service performed as a Member
of Congress shall be disregarded other than pay for
service which may be taken into account under sub-
paragraph (A).
(2) To the extent practicable, eligibility for, and the
amount of, any annuity (or other benefit) to which an indi-
vidual is entitled based on a separation of a Member of
Congress occurring after such Member becomes ineligible
to participate in the Civil Service Retirement System or
the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (as the case
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may be) by reason of subsection (a) shall be determined
in a manner that preserves any rights to which the Mem-
ber would have been entitled, as of the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, had separation occurred on such date.
(f) REGULATIONS.—Any regulations necessary to
carry out this section may be prescribed by the Office of
Personnel Management and the Executive Director (re-
ferred to in section 8401(13) of title 5, United States
Code) with respect to matters within their respective areas
of responsibility.
(g) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the terms
‘‘Member of Congress’’ and ‘‘Member’’ mean any individ-
ual under section 8331(2) or 8401(20) of title 5, United
States Code.
(h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be considered to apply with respect to any sav-
ings plan or other matter outside of subchapter III of
chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 3. DISCLOSURE OF ESTIMATES OF FEDERAL RETIRE-
MENT BENEFITS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 105(a) of the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 1965 (2 U.S.C. 104a; Public
Law 88–454; 78 Stat. 550) is amended by adding at the
end thereof the following new paragraph:
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‘‘(4) The Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of
the House of Representatives shall include in each report
submitted under paragraph (1), with respect to Members
of Congress, as applicable—
‘‘(A) the total amount of individual contribu-
tions made by each Member to the Civil Service Re-
tirement and Disability Fund and the Thrift Savings
Fund under chapters 83 and 84 of title 5, United
States Code, for all Federal service performed by the
Member as a Member of Congress and as a Federal
employee;
‘‘(B) an estimate of the annuity each Member
would be entitled to receive under chapters 83 and
84 of such title based on the earliest possible date
to receive annuity payments by reason of retirement
(other than disability retirement) which begins after
the date of expiration of the term of office such
Member is serving; and
‘‘(C) any other information necessary to enable
the public to accurately compute the Federal retire-
ment benefits of each Member based on various as-
sumptions of years of service and age of separation
from service by reason of retirement.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect
1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF AUTOMATIC ANNUITY ADJUST-
MENTS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
The portion of annuity of a Member of Congress
which is based solely on service as a Member of Congress
shall not be subject to a COLA adjustment under section
8340 or 8462 of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 5. ELIMINATION OF AUTOMATIC PAY ADJUSTMENTS
FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
(a) PAY ADJUSTMENTS.—Paragraph (2) of section
601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2
U.S.C. 31) is repealed.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 601(a)(1)
of such Act is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a)’’;
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B),
and (C) as paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), respectively;
and
(3) by striking ‘‘, as adjusted by paragraph (2)
of this subsection’’.
SEC. 6. ROLLCALL VOTE FOR ANY CONGRESSIONAL PAY
RAISE.
It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House
of Representatives to dispose of any amendment, bill, reso-
lution, motion, or other matter relating to the pay of Mem-
bers of Congress unless the matter is decided by a rollcall
vote.
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SEC. 7. TRAVEL AWARDS FROM OFFICIAL TRAVEL OF A
MEMBER, OFFICER, OR EMPLOYEE OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO BE USED
ONLY WITH RESPECT TO OFFICIAL TRAVEL.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, or any rule, regulation, or other authority,
any travel award that accrues by reason of official travel
of a Member, officer, or employee of the House of Rep-
resentatives may be used only with respect to official trav-
el.
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Committee on House Over-
sight of the House of Representatives shall have authority
to prescribe regulations to carry out this section.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section—
(1) the term ‘‘travel award’’ means any fre-
quent flier mileage, free travel, discounted travel, or
other travel benefit, whether awarded by coupon,
membership, or otherwise; and
(2) the term ‘‘official travel’’ means, with re-
spect to the House of Representatives, travel per-
formed for the conduct of official business of the
House of Representatives.
SEC. 8. BAN ON MASS MAILINGS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Paragraph (6)(A) of section
3210(a) of title 39, United States Code, is amended to
read as follows:
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‘‘(6)(A) It is the intent of Congress that a Member
of, or Member-elect to, Congress may not mail any mass
mailing as franked mail.’’.
(2) The second sentence of section 3210(c) of title
39, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘sub-
section (a)(4) and (5)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(4),
(5), and (6)’’.
(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) Section 3210 of title 39, United States Code, is
amended—
(A) in subsection (a)(3)—
(i) in subparagraph (G) by striking ‘‘, in-
cluding general mass mailings,’’; and
(ii) in subparagraphs (I) and (J) by strik-
ing ‘‘or other general mass mailing’’;
(B) in subsection (a)(6) by repealing subpara-
graphs (B), (C), and (F), and the second sentence
of subparagraph (D);
(C) by repealing paragraph (7) of subsection
(a); and
(D) by repealing subsection (f).
(2) Section 316(a) of the Legislative Branch Appro-
priations Act, 1990 (39 U.S.C. 3210 note) is repealed.
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(3) Subsection (f) of section 311 of the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 1991 (2 U.S.C. 59e(f)) is re-
pealed.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall take effect at the beginning of the Con-
gress next beginning after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 9. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF MILITARY AIR COMMAND
BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
(a) RESTRICTIONS.—(1) Chapter 157 of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘§ 2643. Restrictions on provision of air transpor-
tation to Members of Congress
‘‘(a) RESTRICTIONS.—A Member of Congress may
not receive transportation in an aircraft of the Military
Air Command unless—
‘‘(1) the transportation is provided on a space-
available basis as part of the scheduled operations of
the military aircraft unrelated to the provision of
transportation to Members of Congress;
‘‘(2) the use of the military aircraft is necessary
because the destination of the Member of Congress,
or an airfield located within reasonable distance of
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the destination, is not accessible by regularly sched-
uled flights of commercial aircraft; or
‘‘(3) the use of the military aircraft is the least
expensive method for the Member of Congress to
reach the destination by aircraft, as demonstrated
by information released before the trip by the mem-
ber or committee of Congress sponsoring the trip.
‘‘(b) DESTINATION.—In connection with transpor-
tation provided under subsection (a)(1), the destination of
the military aircraft may not be selected to accommodate
the travel plans of the Member of Congress requesting
such transportation.
‘‘(c) AIRCRAFT DEFINED.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, the term ‘aircraft’ includes both fixed-wing airplanes
and helicopters.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such
chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘2643. Restrictions on provision of air transportation to Members of Congress.’’.
(b) EFFECT ON MEMBERS CURRENTLY RECEIVING
TRANSPORTATION.—Section 2643 of title 10, United
States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall not apply
with respect to a Member of Congress who, as of the date
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of the enactment of this Act, is receiving air transpor-
tation or is scheduled to receive transportation in an air-
craft of the Military Air Command until the Member com-
pletes the travel plans for which the transportation is
being provided or scheduled.
SEC. 10. PROHIBITION ON USE OF MILITARY MEDICAL
TREATMENT FACILITIES BY MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS.
(a) PROHIBITION.—(1) Chapter 55 of title 10, Unit-
ed States Code, is amended by adding at the end of the
following:
‘‘§ 1107. Prohibition on provision of medical and den-
tal care to Member of Congress
‘‘A Member of Congress may not receive medical or
dental care in any facility of any uniformed service un-
less—
‘‘(1) the Member of Congress is eligible or enti-
tled to such care as a member or former member of
a uniformed service or as a covered beneficiary; or
‘‘(2) such care is provided on an emergency
basis unrelated to the person’s status as a Member
of Congress.’’.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such
chapter is amended by adding at the end of the following:
‘‘1107. Prohibition on provision of medical and dental care to Members of Con-
gress.’’.
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(b) EFFECT ON MEMBERS CURRENTLY RECEIVING
CARE.—Section 1107 of title 10, United States Code, as
added by subsection (a), shall not apply with respect to
a Member of Congress who is receiving medical or dental
care in a facility of the uniformed services on the date
of the enactment of this Act until the Member is dis-
charged from that facility.
SEC. 11. ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN RESERVED PARKING
AREAS AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT
AND WASHINGTON DULLES INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Effective 30 days after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Airports Authority—
(1) shall not provide any reserved parking areas
free of charge to Members of Congress, other Gov-
ernment officials, or diplomats at Washington Na-
tional Airport or Washington Dulles International
Airport; and
(2) shall establish a parking policy for such air-
ports that provides equal access to the public, and
does not provide preferential parking privileges to
Members of Congress, other Government officials, or
diplomats.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—As used in the section, the terms
‘‘Airports Authority’’, ‘‘Washington National Airport’’,
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and ‘‘Washington Dulles International Airport’’ have the
same meanings as in section 6004 of the Metropolitan
Washington Airports Act of 1986 (49 U.S.C. App. 2453).
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