Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Are there examples or notable cases of former members of Congress receiving both military and congressional pensions?
Executive summary
Available sources show Congress and federal practice have long limited “double-dipping” — receiving two lifelong federal annuities for the same event — but recent legislative changes and proposals have relaxed or carved exceptions for some military retirees, especially combat‑wounded veterans, to get concurrent military retirement and VA disability or other benefits (see Congress CRS background and Stars and Stripes coverage) [1] [2].
1. What “double‑dipping” historically meant in federal pensions
From the late 19th century through modern practice, the U.S. government has treated concurrent payment of two lifelong federal annuities for the same qualifying event as “double‑dipping,” and Congress historically prohibited receiving two separate lifelong government annuities from federal agencies for the same purpose — a principle the Congressional Research Service explains in background on concurrent receipt and military retirement [1] [3].
2. Military retirement vs. VA disability: the classic example
The most frequent policy flashpoint has been retired military pay and VA disability compensation: DoD historically reduced retired pay when the retiree elected VA disability compensation for the same injury, because the government viewed those as two pays for the same event [4]. CRS and DoD materials document debates and statutory interaction between military retired pay and VA compensation [1] [3] [4].
3. Legislative change and limits: targeted exceptions for combat‑wounded veterans
Recent reporting shows Congress has moved to permit some concurrent payments in specific cases. Stars and Stripes describes legislation — the Richard Star Act and related measures — that allows combat‑wounded veterans who retired with less than 20 years of service to receive their DoD pension plus VA disability concurrently, reversing earlier prohibitions and expanding concurrent receipt for a defined cohort [2]. That change is framed as remedial for those who were medically retired early and previously denied full retirement because of VA offsets [2].
4. Scale, cost, and policy tradeoffs highlighted by government voices
Officials have warned about costs and precedent: DoD and OMB estimates, cited in DVIDS coverage, suggested large price tags if concurrent receipt were broadly extended, and DoD officials argued the historical theory is that two payments for the same event should be avoided [4]. Stars and Stripes cites a CBO estimate of more than $7 billion through 2033 for one implementation and frames the change as targeted rather than blanket relief [2].
5. Beyond disability: other forms of concurrent federal pay and evolving practice
Observers note other forms of “dual compensation” have been allowed in limited circumstances: until relatively recently, rules forbade simultaneous retired military pay and federal civilian pay, but policy evolved and critics labeled some reforms “double‑dipping” even as new exceptions appeared [5]. Congressional CRS analysis also shows congressional action can and has modified rules about concurrent retired pay and other benefits over time [3] [1].
6. Concrete named examples of former members of Congress receiving both pensions — what sources say (and don’t)
The provided sources do not list or name specific former members of Congress who personally received both a military retirement pension and a congressional pension concurrently. Available sources describe the policy framework, legislative changes, and program costs, but they do not mention individual examples of ex‑members of Congress receiving both pensions (not found in current reporting) [1] [2] [3] [4].
7. How to interpret the policy landscape for a former member of Congress
Given the background: if a person served in the military and later served in Congress, whether they can draw a military pension and a congressional pension simultaneously depends on the specific benefit types, statutes in force when they claimed benefits, and whether offsets or targeted exceptions apply. CRS analysis and DoD/VA rules set the framework; Stars and Stripes reporting shows Congress can and has created narrowly drawn concurrent‑receipt relief for specific veteran groups, but the sources do not confirm named congressional retirees who have used those rules [1] [2] [3].
8. What a reader should do next to find named cases
To identify individual cases — names and amounts — consult direct federal records or reporting beyond these sources: OPM and congressional pension disclosure rules, DoD/DFAS benefit records, VA benefit records where permitted by privacy rules, and investigative news reports. The materials provided here establish the legal and policy contours but do not include person‑level examples (available sources do not mention named individuals) [1] [2] [3].
Limitations: this analysis relies solely on the supplied documents; they give strong policy context and recent legislative developments about concurrent receipt but do not provide case‑level examples or exhaustive cost figures beyond the cited estimates [1] [2] [4].