Taxpayers could foot 'historically unusual' pension for Biden, report finds
Former President Joe Biden could be pulling in a hefty, tax-payer-funded pension — stemming from his expansive career as a federal employee, according to a new report.
The National Taxpayer Union Foundation estimates that Biden could be collecting up to a $417,000 pension — more than he was making a year as president, and more than previous presidents — as a result of collecting pensions from several retirement programs he qualifies for after starting his career in Washington in the 1970s.
"It’s pretty unusual, historically unusual, to have such a large pension amount," National Taxpayer Union Foundation President Demian Brady told the New York Post.
The estimate comes from Biden’s long-term career in politics, meaning he has the capability to receive benefits under the Former President’s Act of 1958, and retirement benefits from the Civil Service Retirement System for his time as a senator and vice president.
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The Former President’s Act of 1958 stipulates that presidential pensions are equal to the salaries Cabinet secretaries receive, which is currently set at $250,600. Additionally, Biden could be eligible for up to $166,374 for his time as a senator and vice president under the Civil Service Retirement System, Brady told the Post.
Still, it’s unclear if Biden will actually cash in on all of those benefits. A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Biden launched his career as a U.S. senator in 1972, and served as former President Barack Obama’s vice president for eight years starting in 2009. He earned $400,000 a year annually while president.
The National Taxpayer Union Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway in Congress to curb how much former presidents can rake in once they leave office. For example, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, reintroduced the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act in 2025, which would cap presidential pensions at $200,000. The legislation was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Even so, past initiatives to reign in presidential pensions have failed. Obama ultimately vetoed a similar piece of legislation that Congress backed in 2016 just before he was set to leave the White House.