Last week, America learned that Barack Obama’s post-presidency will be filled with a lavish book deal worth a whopping $60 million and now he’s raking in $400,000 to give a speech to Wall Street.
Obama’s pay day was rightly mocked, as he routinely railed against so-called “fat cat” bankers on Wall Street, but now that he is out of the White House he’s perfectly content cozying up to them.
Now Congressman Jason Chaffetz is firing back, saying that Congress could go after Obama’s pension after news of the $400,000 speech was made public.
Former President Obama’s $400k Wall St. speech could send Congress after his pension (via @FoxFriendsFirst) pic.twitter.com/TOXqz0GuQw
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) May 4, 2017
Chaffetz, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, says he plans to introduce a bill that would cap presidential pensions at $200,000, with another $200,000 for expenses, but the payments would be reduced once their outside income exceeds $400,000.
Obama’s $400,000 speech could prompt Congress to go after his pension https://t.co/h17muKPMmE via @USATODAY Yes, it will
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) May 4, 2017
Chaffetz calls Obama’s hypocrisy on the issue “revealing” given that Obama vetoed a bill that would have curbed pensions earned by former presidents if they took outside income of at least $400,000. The Congressman called Obama’s veto “very self-serving,” explaining that any president shouldn’t receive an annual pension if he is going to rake in millions of dollars in speaking fees each year:
The basic premise here is, if they want to go fishing in Utah for the rest of their lives, they can do that. They will be well compensated for the rest of their lives. If they’re going to make millions of dollars, the taxpayers shouldn’t have to subsidize them.
Interestingly, the bill that Obama vetoed was totally non-partisan and unanimous, as it passed both the House and the Senate with no vocal opposition, and lawmakers were caught off-guard by the surprise veto. At the time, Obama justified his veto by citing supposed “unintended consequences” and how the bill would “impose onerous and unreasonable burdens” on past presidents, when in reality, Obama wanted to still receive a government check while receiving millions in additional income.
If Barack Obama, or any former president for that matter, is set to make several millions of dollars each year in book deals and speaking engagements then they do not need additional money from hardworking taxpayers who won’t make as much in a decade that Obama makes in one hour pandering to bankers.
It appears obvious that Obama’s opposition to the bill was clearly for selfish reasons, as he knew he would earn big bucks after leaving the White House.
Do you support Congressman Chaffetz’s bill? Should past presidents receive a pension if they make more than $400,000 a year? Share your thoughts below!Â
It has always about money. That is why he didn’t care what was spent while he was in office, and with Hilary, sold us out to the highest bidder… the Middle East !! TREASON IS THE REASON for the cover ups and lies. It’s Time for Justice.
If presidents can make a living after serving as president then the $400 K should be voided. Millions on book deals and speeches is proof enough that his family doesn’t need it.
I cant stand Obama with that faked smile of his….go to my Webpage on Facebook ,search,, ,the cure for any cancer, ,its free, the cure itself is so easy you can do it yourself at home, and it works 100%, cost 2-3$…..People spending over 100.000$ for a cure, at the end they still DIE….. plus many more information you never heard of. GOD created Human Beings 1+billion years ago out there in our Universe, learn how they live and travel, they are far, far ahead of us, why 1/3 of the Angels rebelled against GOD, no Man has seen GOD, I did, find out what happen, it is a must read, you will be glad you did
Considering the damage done to our Nation by the Former Kenyan occupier of the Oval office
I do not think he should receive a single penny from the American Tax Payers. Rather take
that money and put it into repaying what he stole form our Nation by his exhaustive golfing,
trips and violation of our Constitution and the office of President. His actions were disgraceful
to the American People, Our Military, Our Police and our Nations security.
This seems petty and churlish. Come up with a better remedy. Investigate his Kalorama bat cave operation.
Having spent some months watching Gowdy and Chaffetz in numerous congressional hearings, and enormous amount of time spent on any numbers of issues, and so little actually being done about the bureaucrats that stonewall, lie, refuse to answer questions, and even when they do answer honestly, I have given up.
Now I have confirmed that if all the words spoken in congressional hearings were able to be weighed, and placed at the North Pole, the Earth would break out of its orbit and go flying off into the galaxy, never to be seen again.
I’m not going to spend one more second of my life in hearing about all the chicanery going on in Federal government until I accidentally hear that a hearing by either one of these two, (Chaffetz is quitting, too, no doubt because he is disgusted with it all) results in someone getting fired, imprisoned, or sent to the gas chamber.
Until then, sayonara.
Just a few more speeches and he’ll be able to pay for one of Uncle Donnie’s golf weekends in Florida.
They should be able to do it in the next four years without a problem.
Why did this never come up over George W. Bush getting his pension even with $15 million in earnings after he was President?
Oh, wait, Obama thought it was appropriate for Bush to get his pension, even though he was rich.
obama started out rich also idiot. and they did try to stop it but obama vetoed it, he would want the clintons to get kicked off the tit they been milking since they left office , ot the tit he was going to milk after heleaves office. i think its perfect, they should do the same with senators, once you leave office if you are working then you shouldnt get your pension period untill you completely retire 100% and if you make over $400k a year you shouldbt get a pension funded by the tax payers period
With all of the American people’s tax dollars, being send over to Iraq, Kenya, Iran (Suppose Ransom) and the terrorists., that Obama stole from us…Using the tax payers monies (millions) for their vacations, clothes, parties and traveling…He hasn’t done one good thing to for the American people, because he was trying to destroy America…Yes, they should take his pension away from him..He doesn’t deserve it and getting $400,000 for speeches and getting the Presidential Library ready in Chicago at the Jackson Park…What kid, is going to go there, to read about all of the 45 Presidents?…Obama is totally ridiculous…
If Obama or any other living President’s income reaches $400,000 a year, all their tax-payer paid pension and other privileges should automatically cease. America should revert to an affluent midddle-class country again, and stop being an elitist one.
I wouldn’t give a quarter to watch people throw rocks at him… well, yeah, I might do that.
His pension should be stopped because of all the money he stole from the tax payers. He entered the white house broke (he said so) and he left worth over 24 million. Where did he get the money from?
Just imagine what he hid!
I don’t think any politician should get a pension as what have they done to earn it? I worked for 50 years and get a $1,000 a month. They work 4 to 8 years and get hundreds of thousands. WTF over!
obummer is a lying thieving black azzhole like all the other blacks screw his pension and screw him too
Block this post you facebook liberals azzholes
Looks like he’s joined up with the clinton example of capitalizing -even- on the screw ups. Am
azing
I say TAKE IT ALL!!! He can start paying down the massive debt that he created!!!
Obama should be stripped of all pensions and federal money after this.
I’m a believer in a volunteer Congress. and any retiring President can be capped at the $400,000 earnings idea… I also think they should have to either arm themselves or pay for their own bodyguards. If they haven’t been killed while in office, no one would care about doing them in when they are out of power, except for revenge of some sort That is something they can take care of themselves, just like the rest of us.. Go out, buy a gun, take lessons if you have to, and quit bleeding the taxpayers after you are out of office!
Great idea, and no govt. money for the gun, either!
Good answer very good
It is about time. This should apply to all politicians.
This shouldn’t just apply to Presidents but Vice Presidents, Congress, SCOTUS, Cabinet Secretaries, etc. Anyone that’s on the Federal payroll at an elected or appointed should be means tested. This might even slow down those who would go after lucrative lobbyist positions.
Take away congressional pensions also.
“Chaffetz, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, says he plans to introduce a bill that would cap presidential pensions at $200,000, with another $200,000 for expenses, but the payments would be reduced once their outside income exceeds $400,000.”
Expenses??? I’m on a pension, my company wouldn’t dream of paying me for expenses.
Just when in the Hell did the taxpayers become responsible for expenses?
Obama worked so hard to destroy our country and way of life, how could anyone think he deserves a Presidential pension? This man should be in prison for treason and sedition while he awaits execution. Obama is good at accepting things he did nothing to earn, a Nobel Peace Prize, several medals, and a pension. The man is a proven traitor, liar, thief, and seditionist.
It would be nice to see a law where all presidential candidates must have military experience & maybe then they wouldn’t be so eager to send our young men & women to fight these wars. Also, it should definitely be a law that all Presidents should have to pay all their own expenses while on vacation as all Americans do. Obummer totally abused what he spent on ridiculous lavish vacations! The presidential pension should be capped at $200,000 per year with nothing additional for expenses & any President making more than $400,000 yearly should lose their pension for that year. Americans are sick & tired of paying taxpayer money for these abuses!!!
ANYONE who would pay even a penny to hear this CRIMINAL speak has more money than sense. I find it funny that people are so eager to spend money on such a loser. Wish I could come up with a *con* like this so I could be a fat cat, too.
So true Marilyn!
Thank Bill Clinton for this. He changes the president salary with the thought of his wife becoming president one day.
YES but for other atrocities as well.
Millionaires do not need a government pension no matter who they are, they need to live like the rest of us.
Its a no Brainer. Congress you act, and pass that Bill. Also he shouldn’t receiver his pension until retirement age. No wonder were broke!
This is good, but the dollar amounts need to be halved.
Phil in TX
Just with the $60 million book deal, he doesn’t need/deserve his pension!!
If the bill had 100% support in congress and the Criminal in chief vetoed it, WHY WASN’T THE VETO OVERRIDDEN????
If and only if you can prove to me, and the rest of the American citizens that obama was a legitimate president.. Only then is obama eligible for a govt. pension.
His records should be unsealed! ASAP!
If indeed evidence is provided that shows he was born in Kenya & not the US, he should have to forfeit any pension or other benefits such as lifetime medical insurance because he lied. What an absolute snake!
George is right. Obama is a criminal. He was born in Kenya in 1956, not Hawaii in 1961. Malik Obama outed his brother’s birth certificate proving he was born in Kenya. Obama lies all the time, his high school friends say he would have sex with old white men to finance his crack cocaine habit.Michelle Obama is really Michael with an operation and the two kids were adopted. Obama is the first President who was not born in the USA. He tried to run the debt up so that the US could not pay it back. He is a very Evil man, a Muslim who hates Jews and Christians.
Stop his pension, all together! He don’t need your or my hard earned money we have to pay as taxes. Besides, with his 8 years of running America down the rabbit hole, he should be paying America back at a rate of 75% of his yearly income or his gross financial wealth! ~JOHN~ said dat
True, he should have to pay back the monies he and his family spent on lavish vacations. No other president in my history has ever ran up a bill like that for vacations. I’m not begrudging them a little time off, but they certainly didn’t have to spend over $9 million.
I’m curious about something. When Obama entered the white house, his net worth was ~ one million (from book sales). After eight years in the white house making $400,00/year (that totals $3,200,000) he is now worth over 10 million dollars. I know he was frugal, making sure he never spent any of HIS money on golf or vacations, but how do we explain the extra 6.8 million? I find it hard to believe that he could have made that much money on book sales during those eight years. Does anyone know where that money came from? Please help me understand. After all, according to Hillary, the Clintons were “dead broke” when the left. More lies and deceit?
More evidence that Obama is a criminal fraud, fooling Hawaiians and all other Americans as he rips off everyone after lies and trying his best to destroy USA. Obama, the illegal alien Muslim Infiltrator who usurped Office with fraud BC and SS#, belongs in prison, ASAP!
Let’s get it done.
This is a great idea, and it should also be applied to Congress, Federal judges, Cabinet Secretaries, SES, the military, and all Federal civil servants. After all ,miltary officers get half their pay when they retire at 45, and 99% of them go out and get a job with Defense contractors. Get rid of their pensions, along with 5 million federal government employees, of which a large number go out into the private sector, get a well-paying job, and then collect social security as well as their federal pension. Congressman usally get 10 times their salary lobbying, as well as their Federal pension. We need to be fair about this; I wonder how many Senators and Representatives will vote for this if it applies to them as well?
I feel Obama should have lost his pension and all other benefits he receives. He certainly does not need the money and what he is saying in these speeches are so against the peoples feelings. I am so glad he is no longer president, just wish he realized it. There needs to be limits on these once presidents and office holders.
The obama’s just like the Clinton are cut of the same log which spells deep roots in corruption and
greed that is affected by their color and to reach for more power. It is ironic that Clinton and
Obama never served in the military and custom demanded that others greeted them with a military
salute. Both would have most probably flee when the bullets came their way. Obama, I understand, owes several millions of dollars already billed) fior expenses charged to the Fed.
I would like to know the outcome and if somewhat the Fed forgives such a debt. President Trump is being challengedby corrupt judges calling his actions unconstitutional. Obama, as
a black President who used the RACE freely, was never challenged due to fear of being
accused of being a racist. That paralized the Congress and that was a damning reason.
Obama cannot be but the worst President in our History and a warning to all voters.