Ex-Presidents' Taxpayer-Funded Perks Include Phone Bills, Office Rent

Taxpayers are giving millions of dollars a year that pay for some of the expenses of the country's four living ex-presidents, including George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Taxpayer-funded perks for ex-presidents added up to nearly $4 million in the 2011 fiscal year, records show. Perks included $15,000 for Jimmy Carter's postage; more than $80,000 for George W. Bush's phone bill; and $579,000 for rent at Bill Clinton's office in New York City, according to ABC News.

A recent bipartisan effort could limit big spending of taxpayer money for ex-presidents. The Presidential Allowance Modernization Act -- proposed by Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) -- would limit payments to ex-presidents for office expenses like travel and phone bills if their outside income exceeds $400,000 a year. The bill would also institute a fixed pension of $200,000 for retired presidents.

“Does President Bush really need $80,000 a year for his telephones?” Chaffetz said in an interview with ABC's Jon Karl. “That’s a lot of phones and a lot of phone bills."

According to the Daily Mail, Carter is currently worth an estimated $7 million; George H.W. Bush has about $23 million; Clinton is worth $38 million and Bush 43 has a net worth of $20 million. Clinton and Bush both bring in millions from speaking engagements alone -- Clinton has raked in more than $10 million and Bush has nabbed $15 million.

"Presidents should get a compensation package," Chaffetz said. "They should get a retirement, and they should get some expenses. But if they’re going to go out on the trail, and they’re going to give speeches, write books and make money, then there comes a point where you say, OK, the taxpayer shouldn’t be responsible for also footing the bill for the office expenses, and the telephone, and paper, and the personnel to man those offices."

It's not just ex-presidents costing taxpayers big money. Tens of thousands of dollars are spent each day on Secret Service protection for presidential hopefuls.

HuffPost reports:

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said in 2008 that each candidate's detail cost $38,000 per day, a number he expected would rise to $44,000 in 2012, according to ABC News. Last year the House approved a $113 million budget for protection of the 2012 presidential candidates.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[DeNeece]

11:56 AM on 04/04/2013

Ok, why, are they "entitled" to have all these frivolous expenses paid by my "hard earned tax dollars". Why are they not limited to what the we americans are limited to...insurance and retirement. Why is it our responsibility to continue to give past presidents perks. I can see protection as an additional expense but all this other stuff. Its not right!!!! Talk about entitlements! However, I hear that word when they talk about welfare, foodstamps and the like! While I truly like Obama, this all has to stop!

[zeckie]

03:49 PM on 09/29/2012

Are they included in the 47% living off the government benefits that Romney considers "loosers"? Looks like it is ok to rob the the US Treasury if you are part of multi-millionair club!

[Know-some-secrets]

11:40 AM on 05/12/2012

When Bill Clinton is racking in about $10 million a year by selling influence to anyone who will pay for it, and writing off all of his living and luxury travel to his "non-profit" "foundation" taxpayers should not only not pay his office costs, or his presidential pension, but limit what can be charged for Secret Service protection around the globe in luxury accomodations if Bill is traveling to to grow his personal fortune. Unfortunately, his "brother" Bush looks to Clinton's extragence as his goal too.

Once Congress limits the ex-presidents, they should turn their scrutiny and the budget cutting to perks for members and ex-members of Congress, yet another multi-million dollar rip off.

[drb107]

07:33 PM on 05/09/2012

Hey this is good information for Obama, he will need to know this after November

[XOXOXO XOXOXO]

03:07 PM on 12/31/2012

He got reelected fool!!!!

[08politicaljunkie]

07:04 PM on 05/09/2012

How do you have a phone bill that high? No one pays for individual calls anymore. Are secure Sat phones that costly?

[electkottkamp]

05:20 PM on 05/09/2012

This is outrageous!! PLEASE pass this bill!

[probo]

04:12 PM on 05/09/2012

Why are these millionaires getting anything anyway ????? This is just wrong..

[probo]

04:09 PM on 05/09/2012

How does anyone run up an $ 80,000 phone bill ?

[SkreetGil1]

04:06 PM on 05/09/2012

We cut support for medical, child services and education.

And pay these millionaire clowns rent, phone bill, printing and many other things!

This is outrageous! They continue to seal from the American people!

Are you kidding me!

Get rid of the whole thing!

[jms0764]

03:43 PM on 05/09/2012

I don't mind paying them a pension and supplying security, but other then that, no. Their expenses are theirs. If the security detail has to travel then the government covers it but they should cover their own expenses. This isn't a charity we're running here, it's a government and these are not the people who need things for free.

[khuff70]

03:38 PM on 05/09/2012

If you no longer hold a position (don't care if its Dr. lawyer, Indian chief or president), then you shouldn't get the benefits of that position. Once your "job" ends, find another one that has benefits and stop making the taxpayers foot the bill for the crap you should be paying for yourself. We shouldn't have to pay for Jimmy Carters postage stamps, or Dubya's phone bills or Bill Clintons office rent or any rent for that matter! You no longer hold office....get a job. It's not a retirement pension for cripes sake...pay your own bills and stop sponging off the average joe.

[fxcruiser]

03:19 PM on 05/09/2012

I think they should get the same as a member of the military.... if you get hurt "in action" we will keep you patched up; If you serve 20 we will give you half-pay (under 20 years, you have either made enough before you took the job - or you can get your 52 weeks of unemployment);

Then you get 36 months of taxpayer provided security for YOU (only), not your kids, grand kids, or other. After 36 months you will be charged the actual cost plus tax, plus a minumum of 40% for administration fees; or you can provide your own security at your own expense. All travel will be at your own expense. There will be no travel to foreign countries to speak on behalf of the United States; no visa will be provided for foreigners to come see you either. Any books written must be approved by appropriate authority to insure national security has not been compromised. A nominal fee will be charged for this service since you plan to profit from the sale of said book(s).

[jbyars]

04:02 PM on 05/09/2012

Well said!

[Hpizzaboy]

03:16 PM on 05/09/2012

Is Clinton renting an office or an entire city?

[jms0764]

03:48 PM on 05/09/2012

LOL. In NY, he's lucky to get a broom closet for that at a posh address. My point exactly though, if he wants it, he should pay for it himself.

[rhottenste]

07:47 PM on 05/09/2012

He is not renting anything......WE ARE! As he uses it to procure more speaking engagements to make a cool $10,000,000.00 PLUS expenses!

[RebeHar]

03:09 PM on 05/09/2012

Seems to me, Clinton is the one who is the worst! Why do we the taxpayers pay for his office in NYC when his home is a quick train ride from the city. I have personally taken that train.

Any presidential candidate who feels the need for secret service should have to pay for the expense from their campaign donations. No one made any of them run for public office or put their lives in full view. It is a choice!

[JoanneRM]

03:59 PM on 05/09/2012

I take it you work from home. I'm retired now, but I always had an office. I had no room for a staff in my home. I would have needed a big hom, and I needed to be close to where people were who would come to my office, not a half hour away. It would have been incredibly more expensive to buy a house that large, than to rent an office too.

George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama need good Secret Service protection, because these are the most hated Presidents. When Obama began his race for President, Bush started his protection early because the death threats came early.

When the Clintons left office, they needed the help of friends to buy a house. They never owned one; they rented when he was not in office. They didn't have much money until Bill wrote a book. People want to know what Bill has to say. That is mostly where their money came from. He also makes speeches, and gets paid to make most of them.

It is a little like the Carters. When the Carters went home and went into their Blind Trust, they discovered they were Bankrupts. They sat down and wrote books to raise money. They also made speeches for money, and that is how they supported themselves. They had to start from scratch.

President and Mrs. Obama paid off their student loans two years before he ran for the U.S. Senate

[RebeHar]

07:29 PM on 05/09/2012

No, I do not work from home!  I have not worked since my children were small and now I am a Grandmother.  No regrets!!

Not sure where you got your info from, but I know one thing for sure.  NO politician that goes to Washington ever comes home bankrupt!!!!  ESPECIALLY A PRESIDENT!!!!

[jms0764]

03:59 PM on 05/09/2012

Is it really a choice? I couldn't resist that, sorry! Well, I agree with you whole heartedly about the office in NY. If he wants it he should pay for it. But, I do think that the security should be provided, because someone has to be President, and with all of the crazies out there today they need protection.

[mostark45]

03:07 PM on 05/09/2012

Most people don't get anywhere near that for working at a job for 40 + years. Why should they get so much for 4-8 years of lying and deceiving the U.S. citizens?