Pensions/SS & Health Benefits for our lawmakers

[Madelaine Amee]

I see a lot of people getting their knickers in a twist on this board and if you really want to raise your blood pressure into the danger zone check out this link on what our illustrious lawmakers get in pension/SS and health benies compared to ours Retirement Benefits of Congress Vs. You | Bankrate.com (http://www.bankrate.com/finance/retirement/retirement-benefits-congress-vs-you.aspx)

[Bucco]

I see a lot of people getting their knickers in a twist on this board and if you really want to raise your blood pressure into the danger zone check out this link on what our illustrious lawmakers get in pension/SS and health benies compared to ours Retirement Benefits of Congress Vs. You | Bankrate.com (http://www.bankrate.com/finance/retirement/retirement-benefits-congress-vs-you.aspx)

Not only that.....have not heard much recently but....

Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.


Read more: Lawmakers, aides may get Obamacare exemption - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com (http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/obamacare-exemption-lawmakers-aides-90610.html#ixzz2aBsLZYCW)

[Madelaine Amee]

Not only that.....have not heard much recently but....

Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.


Read more: Lawmakers, aides may get Obamacare exemption - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com (http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/obamacare-exemption-lawmakers-aides-90610.html#ixzz2aBsLZYCW)

....and we allow these abuses to continue. We should be marching on Washington and getting this info out to the general public.

[DandyGirl]

I am not/was not a member of congress but as a retired federal employee I get those same benefits. I worked for my retirement just like everybody else does. It's not a free ride.

[gomoho]

Oh, oh POLITICO!!!!

[billethkid]

this is certainly not a new subject or a revelation.

However I do think the recent use of "inequality" certainly fits like a glove....eh?

btk

[red tail]

I am not/was not a member of congress but as a retired federal employee I get those same benefits. I worked for my retirement just like everybody else does. It's not a free ride.

20 and out or a real career?

[buggyone]

I am not/was not a member of congress but as a retired federal employee I get those same benefits. I worked for my retirement just like everybody else does. It's not a free ride.

I also was employed by the federal government. I worked at the VA for 36 years finding jobs for veterans. Ours is a very good retirement plan but we do not collect Social Security being under the Civil Service Retirement System. The Federal Employee Retirement System is not quite as generous and is for employees hired after 1986.

[ilovetv]

IRS Employees Union Is 'Very Concerned' About Being Required To Enroll In ACA's Health Insurance Exchanges

"Two weeks ago, representatives of three large labor unions fired off a harsh letter to Democratic leaders in Congress, complaining that ACA would “shatter…our hard-earned health benefits” and create “nightmare scenarios” for their members. Today, we learn that the National Treasury Employees Union—the union that includes employees of the Internal Revenue Service—is asking its members to write letters to their Congressmen, stating that they are “very concerned” about legislative efforts requiring IRS and Treasury employees to enroll in the ACA exchanges.

“I am a federal employee and one of your constituents,” the letter begins. “I am very concerned about legislation that has been introduced by Congressman Dave Camp to push federal employees out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and into the insurance exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).”.....

... In April, Camp introduced legislation to put all federal employees on the exchanges, in response to reports that members of Congress and their staff were seeking an exemption from the provision in ACA that requires them to enroll in the exchanges.

“If the ACA exchanges are good enough for the hardworking Americans and small businesses the law claims to help, then they should be good enough for the president, vice president, Congress, and federal employees,” said Camp’s spokeswoman in a statement at the time.

There is one legitimate issue regarding members of Congress and their staff enrolling in the exchanges. Today, federal employees are offered subsidies, or vouchers, which they can use to shop for insurance on the popular federal employees’ exchange, called the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. Because ACA was drafted so hastily, it’s not clear whether the law allows similar subsidies to flow to federal employees on the Obamacare exchanges.

We’re still awaiting a ruling from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on that front. For inexplicable reasons, OPM has not clarified whether or not the government will be allowed to funnel subsidies through the ACA exchanges......."

IRS Employees Union Is 'Very Concerned' About Being Required To Enroll In Obamacare's Health Insurance Exchanges - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/07/26/irs-employees-union-is-very-concerned-about-being-required-to-enroll-in-obamacares-health-insurance-exchanges/)

[Madelaine Amee]

I am not/was not a member of congress but as a retired federal employee I get those same benefits. I worked for my retirement just like everybody else does. It's not a free ride.

This post is not about working or not working whilst in the employ of our Government, this post merely points out the inequalities between working for the Government and working in the general work place.

Before you start telling us how well you are compensated, it might do well for you to remember that you were paid by me and all other law abiding tax paying citizens and it is very difficult to know that we paid your wages and see you get far better health and pension benefits than we do. It should be a level playing field whomever you work for.