Executive Level I pay was increased to $205,700 for calendar year 2016. Pursuant to statute, former Presidents currently receive a pension that is equal to pay for Cabinet Secretaries (Executive Level I), which for calendar year 2015 was $203,700. Presidents a pension, support staff, office support, travel funds, and mailing privileges. The FPA charges the General Services Administration (GSA) with providing former U.S. Prior to enactment of the FPA in 1958, former Presidents leaving office received no pension or other federal assistance.
The act provides the former President-and his or her spouse-certain benefits to help him respond to post-presidency mail and speaking requests, among other informal public duties often required of a former President. §102 note) was enacted to "maintain the dignity" of the Office of the President. This report considers the potential effects of maintaining the FPA or amending the FPA in ways that might reduce or otherwise modify a former President’s benefits. Congress has the authority to reduce, increase, or maintain the pension and benefits provided to former Presidents of the United States. It details the benefits provided to former Presidents and their costs. This report provides a legislative and cultural history of the Former Presidents Act. The nominal appropriation levels for former Presidents’ benefits, however, increased through FY2011 and then declined from FY2011 through FY2015. GSA data on payments to former Presidents show that the value of benefits provided to each of the living former Presidents-when adjusted for inflation-has generally declined from FY1998 through FY2015. Additionally, the bills propose that for every dollar a former President earned in each fiscal year in excess of $400,000, his federal annuity would be reduced by $1. Both pieces of legislation would provide a former President an additional $200,000 annual allowance to be used as he determined and would remove other benefits currently provided to former Presidents-including those currently provided for travel, staff, and office expenses. 1411) would set a former President’s pension at $200,000 annually, with increases each year by the same percentage authorized for benefits provided by the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. In the 114th Congress (2015-2016), the House and Senate are considering similar legislation that would amend the FPA. Others argue that although a former President is not in a formal public position, he remains a public figure and should be provided a pension and benefits that permit him to perform duties that emerge as a result of his public status. Some critics of the Former Presidents Act say the statute subsidizes Presidents who are not struggling financially. For FY2016, President Obama requested and received appropriations of $3,277,000 for expenditures for former Presidents-an increase of $25,000 from FY2015 appropriated levels. The increase in requested appropriations for FY2017 anticipates President Barack Obama’s transition from incumbent to former President. The President’s FY2017 budget request seeks $3,865,000 in appropriations for expenditures for former Presidents, an increase of $588,000 (17.9%) from the FY2016 appropriation level. Pursuant to the FPA, former Presidents are eligible for benefits unless they hold “an appointive or elective office or position in or under the Federal Government or the government of the District of Columbia to which is attached a rate of pay other than a nominal rate.” In addition to benefits provided pursuant to the FPA, former Presidents are also provided Secret Service protection and financial “transition” benefits to assist their transition to post-presidential life. §102 note) was enacted to “maintain the dignity” of the Office of the President.
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