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House Speaker John Boehner will resign from Congress
- Thread starter mvcg66b3r
- Start date
It looks like the next four in line are just as off-center as JB was:
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/09/25/3705591/speaker-candidates-after-john-boehner/?ref=yfp
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/09/25/3705591/speaker-candidates-after-john-boehner/?ref=yfp
here is the problem,,
i didn't like bohener, i thought he was an idiot, but one thing he was doing and it took me a very long time to realize this, is all this time he has been straddling a very fine line with trying to do his job and keep the extreme teabagging crazies in the republican party from dragging the entire country and the republican party down the swirly bowl.
we are not likely going to be so lucky with his replacement.
look for the republican party to very soon really go off the rails.
i didn't like bohener, i thought he was an idiot, but one thing he was doing and it took me a very long time to realize this, is all this time he has been straddling a very fine line with trying to do his job and keep the extreme teabagging crazies in the republican party from dragging the entire country and the republican party down the swirly bowl.
we are not likely going to be so lucky with his replacement.
look for the republican party to very soon really go off the rails.
Some would say it went off the rails years ago but perhaps that is what is needed to get the voters attention in to just how poor the Republican Party is representing their members.
Lots and lots of good for America and Americans legislation passed by the Republican House and sent to the Democrat Senate where it was quashed by those who have no interest in what is good for America. Oh, wait a minute: We who are not in radio or television already knew that. Guess now it's just a matter of both Republican Houses of Congress passing that legislation so that America can see what happens.
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The Republicans have been in power for 9 months. Are your taxes any lower? Mine aren't. The party can't come together on anything. That's why Boehner quit.
So now he'll take his nice fat government pension and lifetime health insurance that we all pay for, and sit on his butt in Ohio. Thanks a lot.
We live in an era when efforts to discuss things political has all the dignity and intellect of a food fight in a freshman dorm at college.
But then again, a reading of history tells me that we haven't invented anything new.
What we were not told in our school days is that making self government work is really, really messy business.
Each of the major parties has their unique internal problems. Right now we are getting to watch the Republicans hang their wash out on the clothes line. And as some in the South would express it: "It ain't purty, Bubba." (That's probably an appropriate observation... when you look at the number of Southern representatives that are part of the food fight.)
But then again, a reading of history tells me that we haven't invented anything new.
What we were not told in our school days is that making self government work is really, really messy business.
Each of the major parties has their unique internal problems. Right now we are getting to watch the Republicans hang their wash out on the clothes line. And as some in the South would express it: "It ain't purty, Bubba." (That's probably an appropriate observation... when you look at the number of Southern representatives that are part of the food fight.)
Why bother? They're hardly ever in session.
In what reality?
He's probably already got a tall pile of offers from companies that need Washington lobbyists.
I figure his Congressional will be about $89,400, give or take a few dollars.
Interesting question on the healthcare. Since members of Congress are no longer eligible for healthcare coverage under FEHB, it isn't really clear what he and other retiring members of Congress get into retirement. If the program is similar to other Federal civilian retirees, that healthcare coverage isn't free, going into retirement.
I expect certain benefits were grandfathered in, so that if you were a member before a certain year, you get different benefits than new members.
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Woulda' coulda' shoulda' .....
A few decades ago, my (then) broadcasting career brought me into contact with someone on their way to being a substantial Washington player. When he won the election that took him to Washington, I had to think long and hard.... maybe I was overestimating the strenght of my contact with him.... but I sat and thought about making an application to becoming part of his staff. But i had recently walked away from broadcasting because I had to move my young family more than I was comfortable with. So I finally decided NOT to explore the possibility of being a Washington staffer. If it was important to stop moving my "rug-rats".... why would I now aspire to move to Washington D.C. ????
I guess that long stare into the mirror that day has shaped my view of events from Washington ever since. There are the glory days when good things are happening and I say to myself.... "Maybe you could have been a part of that!". And then there are the days when there are "Perp Walks" where people are on display who may end up in Federal Prison. "Oooops. Maybe you could have been a part of that!"
So when I watch C-span and news clips about hearings in Washington.... I am often drawn to the faces of staff people who are sitting to the side of or behind the big time players. Do they look happy? Do they look bored? Do they look terrified? Would I have been comfortable sitting where that person is?
I'm both annoyed and amused with all the back-bench comments we rank-and-file folks make about those who make our system of self government work.... or fail to work. If your society is going to have a circus for entertainment, you have to have people who are willing and capable of shoveling the elephant poop. So, in this day and age, what is the proper retirement and care for those who, on our behalf, have done the messy job of dealing with the poop of elephants (and donkeys).
I've been entertained through the years in watching Boehner at work. (He has a messy job!!!) But I must say that my opinion of him has gone up quite a bit as we begin to hear more and more stories about what is going on, and what what he had to deal with, and how he is responding here in his lame-duck period.
I am depressed though. The two dudes who are now beginning to engage in battle over who will replace Boehner as speaker do not seem to indicate that we are about to enter an era of Camelot.
Yup. The process of self-government is messy business. Whatever Boehner's retirement pay and healthcare amount to may not be outrageous for the task he performed on our behalf. There are some other players on the Washington scene that I might not be quite so mellow over their treasure-chest of benefits.
A few decades ago, my (then) broadcasting career brought me into contact with someone on their way to being a substantial Washington player. When he won the election that took him to Washington, I had to think long and hard.... maybe I was overestimating the strenght of my contact with him.... but I sat and thought about making an application to becoming part of his staff. But i had recently walked away from broadcasting because I had to move my young family more than I was comfortable with. So I finally decided NOT to explore the possibility of being a Washington staffer. If it was important to stop moving my "rug-rats".... why would I now aspire to move to Washington D.C. ????
I guess that long stare into the mirror that day has shaped my view of events from Washington ever since. There are the glory days when good things are happening and I say to myself.... "Maybe you could have been a part of that!". And then there are the days when there are "Perp Walks" where people are on display who may end up in Federal Prison. "Oooops. Maybe you could have been a part of that!"
So when I watch C-span and news clips about hearings in Washington.... I am often drawn to the faces of staff people who are sitting to the side of or behind the big time players. Do they look happy? Do they look bored? Do they look terrified? Would I have been comfortable sitting where that person is?
I'm both annoyed and amused with all the back-bench comments we rank-and-file folks make about those who make our system of self government work.... or fail to work. If your society is going to have a circus for entertainment, you have to have people who are willing and capable of shoveling the elephant poop. So, in this day and age, what is the proper retirement and care for those who, on our behalf, have done the messy job of dealing with the poop of elephants (and donkeys).
I've been entertained through the years in watching Boehner at work. (He has a messy job!!!) But I must say that my opinion of him has gone up quite a bit as we begin to hear more and more stories about what is going on, and what what he had to deal with, and how he is responding here in his lame-duck period.
I am depressed though. The two dudes who are now beginning to engage in battle over who will replace Boehner as speaker do not seem to indicate that we are about to enter an era of Camelot.
Yup. The process of self-government is messy business. Whatever Boehner's retirement pay and healthcare amount to may not be outrageous for the task he performed on our behalf. There are some other players on the Washington scene that I might not be quite so mellow over their treasure-chest of benefits.
Not quite. It appears the retirement benefits in regards to health care coverage are dependent on two things - first qualifying for the heath care benefits into retirement, then selecting one of the plans available under FEHB.
You made me look further into this subject.
What is appears is that all members of the Congress, in order to get a government subsidy for their health care plan, they have to go through the exchange, as mandated under PPACA. When they retire, if they would qualify for FEHB coverage into retirement, it looks like they'd then transfer from a plan under the exchange and move into FEHB.
"Additionally, Members and staff who obtain coverage through a SHOP exchange under this arrangement may purchase a FEHB plan upon retirement from the federal government, provided they otherwise meet the criteria to do so."
"Coverage for Retirees
OPM indicates that Members and congressional staff designated as working for an official office
of a Member (hereinafter “staff” or “designated staff”) who purchase coverage through an
exchange will have the ability to enroll in plans offered through FEHB in retirement, provided
they meet the eligibility criteria to do so under 5 U.S.C. Section 8905. The eligibility criteria are
generally the same criteria that all other federal employees must meet to continue FEHB coverage
in retirement. The criteria are (1) eligibility for retirement from the federal government,13 and (2)
continuous enrollment in a health plan offered under FEHB (or in the case of Members and staff,
offered through a SHOP exchange) for the five years of service immediately prior to retirement.
To be clear, OPM has indicated that Members’ and staff’s SHOP exchange coverage counts
toward the five-year requirement. The final rule does not apply to Members or staff who retired
before December 31, 2013. If these retirees were enrolled in a plan under FEHB, nothing would
prohibit them from continuing their coverage under a FEHB plan."
Footnote after 5 USC 8905:
The final rule allows Members and staff to transfer to coverage offered under FEHB on becoming annuitants
(retirees), but the proposed rule did not. Under the proposed rule, Members and staff were unable to return to FEHB
upon becoming annuitants; instead, they could continue to receive the government contribution toward an exchange
plan on becoming annuitants. In the preamble to the final rule, OPM notes (page 60654), “Section 1312 only addresses
the health benefits plans that the federal government may offer Members of Congress and congressional staff employed
by the official office of a member of Congress while they are employed in those positions. This provision neither
amended any of the sections of Chapter 89 relating to annuitant health benefits nor otherwise indicated that the
provision applies to annuitants. Because we agree with the central premise of these comments, we have deleted the
proposed language in § 890.501(h)(1) and (2) referring to annuitants.”
Above is from Congressional Research Service report R43194, dated June 17, 2015.
So, even if they are under an exchange plan and they retire with an immediate annuity, the member of Congress would be eligible to go under FEHB with the 75% or so subsidy, as with every other qualifying Federal civilian employee.
It is important to note that not everyone who leaves the Congress, Senate or House, qualifies for a retirement pension. Granted, most do, but there are some, especially one or two term members of the House of Representatives, if that is their only Federal civilian service, they get no retirement based on that Congressional service.
It is also important to note that FEHB plan, in retirement, is not free. As far as I know, it has never been free to members of Congress. They would pay exactly the same as other Federal civilian retirees with FEHB retirement coverage.
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