No Corruption Act is a win for taxpayers, and now law.
When former Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was found guilty of bribery, he remained eligible to collect his government pension. However, that loophole has now been closed. The bipartisan No Congressional Obligated Recurring Revenue Used as Pension to Incarcerated Officials Now (NO CORRUPTION) Act, introduced by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), has successfully passed both chambers of Congress and received President Joe Biden’s signature. It is now law.
Previously, federal law allowed convicted lawmakers like Menendez to continue receiving pensions until all appeals were exhausted. The NO CORRUPTION Act eliminates this provision, ensuring that members of Congress convicted of corruption-related crimes lose their taxpayer-funded pensions immediately.
The bill, which cleared the Senate July of 2024, had stalled in the House for months, leading to renewed advocacy from its sponsors. Senator Scott emphasized the legislation’s role in addressing dysfunction in Washington.
“I am incredibly proud to see our NO CORRUPTION Act become law," said Scott. "If you’re a member of Congress convicted of a crime involving public corruption, you should lose all pension benefits funded by hardworking taxpayers—period. This reform is a critical step toward restoring accountability and ending dysfunction in Washington.”
Senator Rosen echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of safeguarding taxpayer dollars. “Nevadans elected me to fight corruption and protect their hard-earned money from abuse," she said. "That’s why I worked with Senator Scott to close this loophole. I’m proud to see our bill become law, and I’ll continue working across the aisle to clean up Washington.”
The legislation has also gained support from advocacy groups like the National Taxpayers Union Federation. Demian Brady, the federation’s Vice President of Research, praised the reform.
“The NO CORRUPTION Act is a win for taxpayers,” Brady said. “This commonsense, bipartisan legislation closes a glaring loophole that allowed convicted members of Congress to continue collecting taxpayer-funded pensions. We commend Senators Rosen and Scott for their leadership on this good-government bill.”
With its passage, the NO CORRUPTION Act represents a significant step toward accountability and integrity in public service.
