WASHINGTON, D.C. — As President Donald Trump faces a second Congressional impeachment trial, the fate of his post-office pension could be at risk.


What You Need To Know

  • Once presidents leave office, the Former Presidents Act provides several lifetime benefits

  • Included are a pension, funding for staff and office space, and lifetime Secret Service protection

  • With the exception of Secret Service protection, if Trump is convicted in the Senate, he would lose those benefits

The Former Presidents Act provides several lifetime benefits to former presidents.

Those post-presidential perks include a $200,000+ pension, funding for staff and office space, and lifetime Secret Service protection.

Any president removed from office through impeachment loses those perks, with the exception of a life long Secret Service detail.

PERKS FOR FORMER PRESIDENTS

A sitting President of the United States receives $400,000 annual in compensation.

A post-office pension is equal to the rate of a Cabinet Secretary, which as of 2019, was $219,200. A former First Lady may also qualify for an annual pension totaling $20,000 annually.

Beginning 30 days prior to January 20, the Government Services Administration provides a president with an allowance to begin transition back to private life. This covers office space, staff, communications, printing, and postage costs.

While there are no limits on office space rent, former presidents are limited to staff salaries totaling no more than $150,000 for the first 30 months and is capped at $96,000 thereafter.

The ‘Former Presidents Act’ affords $1 million in reimbursement for travel for former presidents and staff, in addition to $500,000 in travel allowance for security and official travel.

Two-term presidents may purchase health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Health care for presidents is not free, having to pay rates prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget.

Presidents Trump and Carter are limited since neither served at least 5 years in federal positions.

CUTTING THE PERKS

Perks for past presidents have changed in recent years. Congress passed a bill in the 1990’s that would have made President Bill Clinton the last president to receive lifetime Secret Service protection. President Barack Obama signed the Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012 which reinstalled lifetime protection for President Bush and all future former presidents.

Members of Congress have lauded the perks as being too lofty.

In Fiscal Year 2019, Congress appropriated $4.7 million to the Government Services Administration to cover the annual pensions and allowances for the then-five living former presidents (Carter; H.W. Bush; Clinton; W. Bush; Obama)

Congress outlined in its review that of the $4.7 million appropriated, $1.9 million was spent just on office space rent for former presidents.

  • $542,000 for President Obama
  • $513,000 for President Clinton
  • $500,000 for President W. Bush

Lawmakers in 2019 tried to push through the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act which would cap former presidents’ allowances and set pensions at $200,000.

The bill would have also reduced a former president’s annual allowance dollar-for-dollar for each dollar of income a president earned above $400,000.

“Press reports indicate that former presidents have earned millions in speaking fees and book deals after leaving office,” lawmakers wrote in the PAMA bill. “The three most recent former presidents, President Clinton and President George W. Bush, have reportedly earned millions since leaving office, with President Clinton earning more than $100 million between 2001 and 2013. President George W. Bush earning at least $15 million for paid speeches since leaving office in 2009, and President Barack Obama earning $400,000 per speech. In addition to speaking fees, President Clinton received $15 million advance for his memoir in 2004, President George W. Bush was paid $7 million for his memoir, and former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama reportedly signed a joint contract with publishing house Random House for  $65 million advance. The Obamas also signed a deal with streaming service Netflix to produce entertainment services and movies, although the value of that deal has not yet been disclosed, but other deals with Netflix reportedly earned $100 million for other high-profile producers.”

Total Benefits and Pension Allowances for Former Presidents
Fiscal Years 2000 – 2018
Source: Government Services Administration

 

TOTAL ALLOWANCES

YEARS ALLOWANCES RECEIVED

AVG. PER YEAR

NET WORTH

 

 

 

 

 

JIMMY CARTER

$11 MILLION

19 YEARS

$580,000

$8.1 MILLION

BILL CLINTON

$21 MILLION

18 YEARS

$1.1 MILLION

$75.9 MILLION

GEORGE W. BUSH

$12 MILLION

10 YEARS

$1.2 MILLION

$39.5 MILLION

BARACK OBAMA

$3 MILLION

2 YEARS

$1.3 MILLION

$40 MILLION