Editorials

Rep. Nugent's first bill fulfills campaign vow

Hernando Today
Published: March 12, 2011

The issue: U.S. Rep. Rich Nugent's first bill in Congress.

Our opinion: The kind of real "change" Washington, D.C., needs.

Former Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent said he wanted to go to Washington, D.C., to change the way politicians do the taxpayers' business.

Well, he's off to a fine start.

Nugent's first legislation as a member of Congress is exactly the path this country needs to take. Nugent introduced a bill last week that would allow members of Congress to opt out of their congressional pension and the federal match to the deferred compensation plan.

He fulfilled a campaign promise.

While we cheer Nugent for his commitment, we don't understand why members of Congress receive a pension and fully paid health insurance in the first place. Congress is supposed to be where upstanding Americans go serve their fellow citizens by carrying out the mandates of the Constitution.

That's why Nugent's bill is appropriately called "Congress is Not a Career Act."

"The pension and the nine grand in insurance savings would be nice to have," Nugent told Hernando Today , "but we just don't think it's right."

We don't either and we're confident a vast majority of Americans don't as well.

A member of Congress already is paid $174,000 annually. When you throw all the perks and benefits on, it becomes a career path - not service to one's country.

Still, Nugent's bill is only optional. Members of Congress can opt out if the bill passes both houses of Congress and is signed by the president.

We urge them to do so quickly.

But we'd like to see the bill go further. We'd like to see pensions for members of Congress axed. We'd like to see a 50 percent match for a private health insurance policy. Why should the taxpayers match up to 5 percent of a lawmaker's salary toward retirement?

"Most men and women in the military don't get a federal match like this," Nugent said. "How can I look my three boys in the eye - all of whom are serving in the Army - and say 'my service is more valuable than yours?'"

What we'd really like to see change in Washington is our elected officials' attitude - the kind of attitude adjustment Nugent is bringing to Congress.