STOP the SWAMP Act
Sponsored By: Senator Marshall, Roger [R-KS]
Introduced
Summary
Stronger criminal and employment penalties for congressional witnesses. This bill would add new fines, jail terms, and automatic debarment for witnesses who refuse to answer questions or who are finally convicted of perjury or false statements. It also creates a special congressional process to try to strip federal pay and expense funding for a witness after a certified statement of facts.
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Members could rescind federal witness pay
This bill would let any Member of either House introduce a privileged joint resolution to rescind salary and expense funds for a federal employee who testified. The Member must file within 180 days after a statement of facts is certified to a U.S. attorney. The resolution would move on an expedited schedule: committees report in 15 days, the first chamber votes within 20 days, the other chamber votes within 3 days after its report, and conference work is fast-tracked. A court could review the action. If the joint resolution passed, the witness's pay and expense funding for that fiscal year would be removed from the employing agency.
Federal employees face witness penalties
This bill would make a summoned witness's refusal to answer a pertinent question a misdemeanor punishable by a $100 to $1,000 fine and one to twelve months in jail. It would also debar anyone finally convicted of perjury or a false-statement offense from federal employment. If the person is a federal employee, the bill would require removal from the civil service. The bill defines "finally convicted" to include convictions not appealed or convictions after appeals are complete. Any debarment could be reviewed by a court.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Marshall, Roger [R-KS]
KS • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov