Hawley Introduces 'No Pensions for Congressional Predators' Act

Current federal law requires members of Congress to forfeit their pensions if convicted of certain felonies, but the provision doesn't exist for sex crime convictions.

Rachel Acenas

Published: 4/17/2026, 3:49:48 PM EDT

Hawley Introduces 'No Pensions for Congressional Predators' Act — (Left) Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 1, 2023. (Right) Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) speaks at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Sept. 8, 2025. (Alex Wong, Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation on Thursday that prohibits members of Congress convicted of felony sex crimes from receiving their federal, taxpayer-funded pensions after two lawmakers resigned from Congress.

The "No Pensions for Congressional Predators Act" would provide additional accountability in federal law for members of Congress who commit sex crimes.

“Right now, a member of Congress can be convicted of sexual abuse and still receive a taxpayer-funded pension. That is unacceptable,” Hawley said in a statement. “I’m introducing legislation to end this loophole and ensure that lawmakers are never compensated with taxpayer dollars after such a breach of trust. The only thing the government should be paying for is a jail cell for these people.”

Hawley pointed out that current federal law requires members of Congress to forfeit their pensions if convicted of certain felonies, but the provision doesn't exist for sex crime convictions.

The move follows the recent high-profile resignations of Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who were both accused of sexual misconduct. Both congressmen resigned before the House moved forward on a vote to expel them.

Swalwell's resignation followed allegations of sexual misconduct that were published in the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN. Prior to stepping down from his congressional seat, the California Democrat had already suspended his campaign for California governor. Swalwell said he had made past mistakes but also claimed the recent accusations made against him were false.

Gonzales has also faced bipartisan calls to resign or otherwise be expelled from Congress. The married lawmaker announced on April 13 that he would file for retirement after a second staff member claimed that she received sexually explicit text messages while working for the married congressman. Gonzales resigned shortly after Swalwell announced his resignation.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) previously pointed out that if the lawmakers resign, they would take all their taxpayer benefits with them, saying she believes that both Swalwell and Gonzales should have been expelled from Congress. Boebert this week announced that she was working on efforts to ensure that Swalwell, Gonzales, and others in similar situations lose their federal taxpayer pensions.

“Former Congressman Eric Swalwell abused his position of power in Congress to assault and victimize women,” Boebert said. “Now as things stand, taxpayers will be sending him tens of thousands of dollars every year for the rest of his life. This is totally unacceptable.”

Lawmakers continue to eye Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), who is the target of a House Ethics investigation on various allegations, including whether he violated campaign finance laws, misused congressional resources, and engaged in sexual misconduct or dating violence. He has denied any wrongdoing.