In continuing his battle to eliminate pensions from the list of benefits for members of Congress, U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI) signed on in support of H.R. 584, also known as the End Pensions in Congress (EPIC) Act, on Friday.
If passed, the legislation will do just what its title suggests, removing the benefit of pensions for all future members of Congress. The EPIC Act will also cut the pensions of any lawmaker who is currently serving in Congress but is not yet vested into the government’s retirement program.
“Our political system was designed for Americans to be served by citizen legislators, not career politicians,” Ribble said. “In a time when pensions are no longer available to the vast majority of people working in the private sector, it is wrong to ask taxpayers to subsidize this benefit for politicians.”
A number of Republicans lawmakers are co-sponsoring the bill, including: Reps. Ron DeSantis (FL), Rod Blum (IA), Trey Gowdy (SC), Thomas Massie (KY) and Mick Mulvaney (SC).
“Cutting pensions is a responsible step that should have been taken long ago,” Ribble concluded.