Bills Introduced To Bar Federal Pensions From Going To Convicted Child Predators

      Two Republican members of Congress have introduced a bill to stop taxpayer-funded pensions from going to convicted child predators. 

      Senator Steve Daines of Montana introduced similar bills in 2019 and 2021 that both stalled in committee, and Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles has now introduced Daines’ measure in the House. 

      Both men say the measure was inspired by the case of an Indian Health Service pediatrician who abused children while working on reservations in South Dakota and Montana for 3 decades.

      Dr Stanley Weber is serving 5 life terms for molesting young patients on the Pine Ridge Reservation and over 18 years for cases from reservations in Montana.

        Weber was first convicted in Sept 2018 in Montana, but continued to draw his $98,000 a year federal pension and had collected some $180,000 before it was revoked in Nov 2019 following a federal review. 

      Daines says it’s ridiculous Weber was able to collect a government pension after being convicted, especially since he was “allowed to continue unspeakable abuse of young Montanans for years while IHS turned a blind eye.”

        Congressman Ogles says “there are few things more heinous than the sexual abuse of a child, and yet, these crimes often receive a slap on the wrist in comparison to the havoc they wreak on their victims. 

      Ogles says it’s “simply unacceptable” that under current law, federal employees who are found guilty of molesting children are still able to receive their taxpayer-funded pensions. 

       Senator Daines says it’s “absurd” Weber was collecting a government pension after being convicted of sexually abusing children, and that it “past time” to pass his bill to fix what he calls “this flawed system.”