Sponsors
The bill increases and stabilizes lifetime pay and preserves security benefits for former Presidents and spouses, trading higher taxpayer costs plus privacy and administrative risks for targeted income reductions and protections intended to maintain continuity of services.
Former Presidents and their surviving spouses would receive higher, predictable lifetime payments of $200,000 per year (indexed to Social Security COLA), improving their long-term financial security.
Former Presidents and their families would retain existing protective services and funding under the Former Presidents Act, preserving continuity of security and reducing risk of disruptions to protective services.
Higher-income former Presidents would face income-based reductions in the allowance when adjusted gross income plus tax-exempt interest exceeds $400,000, which targets benefits and limits payments to wealthier recipients.
Taxpayers would face higher federal costs because the bill raises annuities to $200,000/year and preserves existing security and benefit funding for former Presidents and their families.
Former Presidents and their surviving spouses would have to disclose tax return information to Treasury to compute income-based reductions, raising privacy concerns for those individuals.
Treasury and the IRS would incur additional administrative burden and confidentiality risks from receiving and processing tax-return information (even if for calculation only), creating overhead and security concerns for federal agencies and taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Sets $200,000/year annuities/allowances for future former Presidents and surviving spouses, ties COLA to Social Security, adds an income‑based reduction, and allows limited tax‑return review to calculate reductions.
Introduced February 12, 2025 by Joni Ernst · Last progress February 12, 2025
Raises lifetime annuities and monetary allowances for future former Presidents and their surviving spouses to $200,000 per year, paid monthly beginning the day after a President leaves office and adjusted annually using the Social Security COLA. It adds an income‑based reduction that cuts the General Services Administration (GSA) monetary allowance when a former President’s adjusted gross income plus tax‑exempt interest for a 12‑month period exceeds $400,000 (indexed for COLA), and requires tax‑return information be disclosed to the Treasury Secretary on request to calculate that reduction (with strict limits on use and disclosure). Also directs GSA, working with the Secret Service, to determine extra allowance needed to cover security‑related increased costs; expands survivor language to include widowers; preserves existing security funding and protection laws; and explicitly exempts anyone who is already a former President or that person’s surviving spouse as of enactment from the changes.