CO-04 (Special Election)
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(R) Greg Lopez
(R) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
President (To Win Colorado)
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(D) Joe Biden*
(R) Donald Trump
80%
20%↓
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
90%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
90%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(D) Adam Frisch
(R) Jeff Hurd
(R) Ron Hanks
40%
30%
20%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert
(R) Deborah Flora
(R) J. Sonnenberg
30%↑
15%↑
10%↓
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Dave Williams
(R) Jeff Crank
50%↓
50%↑
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
90%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) Brittany Pettersen
85%↑
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
(R) Janak Joshi
60%↑
35%↓
30%↑
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
December 17, 2010 07:55 PM UTC
9 Comments
… is this kind of thing unusual? What did Ted Kennedy’s and Strom Thurmond’s grandkids get?
I would certainly think this money is something the grandchildren of wealthy and powerful Senators don’t need…
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that extra payment is somehow related to the fact that he contributed to the Congressional pension plan, but never got to collect a pension.
The Plan administrator would not make such a payment: there’s no entitlement to it. You gotta retire to collect a pension, and Byrd didn’t have the decency to retire, even after he became comatose (his last 5 or so years.)
This was added by the Senate. Could they believe that becoming a Senator is some kind of confirmation that they are better than the rest of us, and entitled to more than just what’s fair ?
This is somewhat similar to the storied tale of Davey Crockett’s apocryphal “Not Yours to Give” speech, except that there’s no way that Byrd’s heirs need this charity.
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your assumption is wrong.
It’s common practice that when a member of congress dies, their family receives whatever salary the deceased would have earned in the next fiscal year.
Kennedy’s share went to his wife ($174,000), as did Sen. Craig Thomas’ and Rep. Paul Gilmor’s $160K-ish when they died in 2007. As President pro tem and committee chairs respectively, Byrd’s and Kennedy’s “gratuity” was greater.
Funny…I don’t recall you whining about what might “be enough” when these republicans died, Barron…
It probably wasn’t brought to anyone’s attention. Did you know that this was common practice, or did you have to look it up?
I certainly didn’t know off the top of my head…
I did already know. It’s one of those utterly useless facts that once in a blue moon actually come in handy…but I’d still rather not remember.
Freshman year of college one of my professors was complaining about Paul Wellstone’s sons receiving the remainder of his senate pay. Since I was a fan of Wellstone’s (and not a fan of my professor), I did a little digging and found it was a common practice.
Perhaps I came off a little combative because it annoys the hell out of me when people say things like,
Whether it be about Byrd or even people I can’t stand like Strom Thurmond, it’s not up to the BX’s of the world to decide who represents states other than Colorado in the Senate. If the people of WV want a rotting carp and a chunk of fatback occupying their two senate seats, God bless ’em.
If you’ve got time to skim HR 3801, you’ve got time to figure out what happens when a member of congress dies…
Are folks in West Virginia really that jealous of Oklahoma?
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common practice ? I don’t doubt your research.
But the survivors are not entitled to that money; it is a gift from the Congress, a gift of money that’s not theirs to give. The dead fella certainly didn’t earn it. There’s no law that provides for such a gift. It is de facto theft / misappropriation of tax dollars, whoever gets it, even if it were offered to the survivors of a constitutionalist, who may very well refuse it.
This is like an insurance policy payout, except that he didn’t have to pay any premiums. Federal Civil Service employees can get this kind of insurance through FEGLI, but they have to pay. If Byrd had paid premiums on a life insurance policy, then the insurance company would have made the payout.
So, in your mind, corruption is bad when it benefits one strain of the Demoblican one-party system, but OK when it benefits the other ?
I don’t think this is a partisan issue at all. It’s about the ethics of the folks elected to office, and this is just one more symptom of a thoroughly corrupt system that shields incumbents from accountability.
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The people of WV kept voting for Byrd, because he kept stealing from the US Treasury on their behalf.
And I looked at the CR because it related to my work. I wish I had time to read every Bill, but I don’t.
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was that,
The payment however has nothing to do with the congressional pension plan under FERS or CSRS.
Your assumption, being incorrect, is thus refuted.
The provision for the death gratuity payment is in the Senate (and House) Manual. That manual is the very embodiment of Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution.
The payment of this money is just as legitimate as any other appropriation Congress makes. It’s written into a bill and subject to Congressional approval, then becomes law when the President signs it.
You disagreeing with the practice doesn’t make it illegal, Barron.
The Constitution allows Congress to make it’s own rules, the death gratuity is a part of Congress’ rules, each occurrence is approved by an act of Congress, and subject to the President’s signature or veto.
If you want to have a conversation about whether or not Congress should do this, then go right ahead, but when you say Congress doesn’t have the right to do it, that’s just wrong.