Word: congressmen
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...didn't like the idea of Congressmen voting themselves a chance to buy a pension at Government expense (TIME, Feb. 2). Extreme case: a defeated Congressman who had served five years could buy himself a life pension with one payment of $1.39. In the State of Washington the Spokane Athletic Club started a Bundles for Congress movement: "Don't worry about the war & taxes: get that pension-forget the Axis." The jokers hired a huge truck, announced plans to drive it to Washington, filled with packages of old razor blades, night caps, broken phonograph records...
With a straight and pious face, the Senate and House extended the civil-service pension system* to all elected Federal officials: namely, the President, the Vice President-and themselves. To be eligible, members will have to ante 5% of their salaries, but Congressmen gave themselves until year's end to ante up-a rare privilege, especially for those not re-elected next November. They also decided on full pensions-as if they had been paying their 5% since their Federal service began...
Virginia's economy-minded Senator Harry F. Byrd pointed out that the bill could mean pensions up to $4,175 a year for life on a few dollars of investment, that Congress seemed to be grabbing quids without a quo. But the idea of pensions for Congressmen is not without some consolation for taxpayers...
...often Congressmen, their old businesses and professions long forgotten, have to get re-elected to earn a living. Too often, to secure reelection, some of them yield to the demands of pressure groups instead of voting their own convictions. When assured of an income if defeated in election, they might feel freer to vote as their souls dictate, might tell lobbyists and grasping constituents to jump in the lake, might retire gracefully when they grew...
Vaguer was his answer to a more crucial question: What about Congress, which is not subject to censorship? Censor Price classified as "official" the Congressional Record and committee proceedings, but warned against word-of-mouth information from individual Congressmen. (Columnist Frank Kent has suggested that Congressmen's immunity to censorship may put them back into the news spotlight as they have not been for many years...