Ex-Reps Swalwell & Gonzales May Keep Pensions Despite Scandals

0:00It's April 26th. Welcome in. This is U.S. News Today, where America meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. Even after quitting Congress amid major scandals, ex-reps Eric Swalwell from California and Tony Gonzalez from Texas might still snag taxpayer funded. Pensions. Both served way more than the five years needed to qualify, so once they hit age 62, they could cash in regardless of how they left. Swalwell put in over 13 years and might pull about $22,000 a year. Gonzalez, with his time and office, could get close to 15,000 annually. The catch? No criminal convictions mean they keep eligibility under today's rules. Folks are fired up, especially conservatives and taxpayer groups, saying it's wrong for officials tangled in ethics messes to keep these perks. Swalwell faced staff for assault claims he denies, while Gonzalez owned up to a rule breaking a fair that ended badly. No charges for either though.

1:00Now lawmakers are pushing back with new bills. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley dropped the no pensions for Congressional Predators Act to cut off felons in sex crimes. A bipartisan crew in the House wrote out the Congressional Pension Integrity Act for tougher accountability. These cases spotlight how Congress pensions beat private sector ones by double or triple, fueling calls for real change. Until law shift, service time trumps bad behavior in deciding who gets paid.