--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've declined every congressional benefit…" description: "\"I've declined every congressional benefit I could decline, federal health insurance, the retirement program, the 403(b) program, which I think is overl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/scott-rigell-41996_benefits_i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefi_2022947.jpg" --- # I've declined every congressional benefit I could decline… ![“I've declined every congressional benefit I could decline, federal health insurance, the retirement program, the 403(b) program, which I think is overly generous. I've got self-imposed term limits of six terms if I have the privilege to serve that long.” quote by Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/scott-rigell-41996_benefits_i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefi_2022947.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/scott-rigell-41996_benefits_i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefi_2022947.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/scott-rigell-41996_benefits_i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefi_2022947.jpg) > “I've declined every congressional benefit I could decline, federal health insurance, the retirement program, the 403(b) program, which I think is overly generous. I've got self-imposed term limits of six terms if I have the privilege to serve that long.” [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He refuses extensive government benefits and imposes personal term limits to avoid entrenchment. **In simple terms:** He declines benefits and limits tenure. Key Takeaway Limit personal power and stay accountable. Themes integrity self‑restraint public service Mood reflective serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - political office - public office candidacy - policy debates Key Concepts political ethics self‑imposed limits Questions to Reflect On - How do personal limits affect public trust? - Is self‑imposed term limits practical? A Different Perspective May reduce resources needed for effective service. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benefit Decline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit-decline-3673974/) [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Decline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decline/) [Decline Federal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decline-federal-3673975/) [Declined Congressional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declined-congressional-3673973/) [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Limits Terms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits-terms-3673972/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Program](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/program/) [Retirement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retirement/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Term limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-limits/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The founding fathers never once rationalized getting in power and having control so they could stay in power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-founding-fathers-never-once-rationalized-getting-in-power-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [There are no term limits on His reign. He has always been King and He always will be King. There is no death that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-storms/there-are-no-term-limits-on-his-reign-he-has-always-been-king-and-he/) [Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-storms/) > [I am for making of terms annual, and for sending an entire new set every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-am-for-making-of-terms-annual-and-for-sending-an-entire-new-set/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I fundamentally believe in term limits, for Congress, presidents, and board members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-breyer/i-fundamentally-believe-in-term-limits-for-congress-presidents-and/) [Jim Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-breyer/) > [No person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/no-person-shall-be-capable-of-being-a-delegate-for-more-than-three/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Careerism: the self-centered philosophy of governing to win the next election above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/careerism-the-self-centered-philosophy-of-governing-to-win-the-next/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I would like to believe I would not have behaved differently had I not made a term limits pledge, but my own frailties and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-would-like-to-believe-i-would-not-have-behaved-differently-had-i/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Politics and self-interest have been so uniformly connected, that the world, from being so often deceived, has a right to be suspicious of public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/politics-and-self-interest-have-been-so-uniformly-connected-that-the/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [I can see both sides of term limits, and I think, in different positions, term limits make more sense than in some others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kennedy/i-can-see-both-sides-of-term-limits-and-i-think-in-different/) [Caroline Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-kennedy/) > [The permanent institutional expertise class is now no longer the legislators, it's the lobbyists who don't have term limits and are there forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/the-permanent-institutional-expertise-class-is-now-no-longer-the/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) > [The voting records of virtually every member of Congress reveal that the oath of office is more a ceremonial gesture than a sacred commitment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-voting-records-of-virtually-every-member-of-congress-reveal-that/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [I didn't want to make it a lifetime thing. I don't believe in statutory term limits, but people can limit themselves if they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-j-mitchell/i-didn-t-want-to-make-it-a-lifetime-thing-i-don-t-believe-in/) [George J. Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-j-mitchell/) > [I've become a huge fan of term limits," the former aide said, "because Armey and the others in leadership used to be just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-sanford/i-ve-become-a-huge-fan-of-term-limits-the-former-aide-said-because/) [Mark Sanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-sanford/) > [I believe in term limits for presidents because I think that there is no doubt I'm a better president now than I was when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-believe-in-term-limits-for-presidents-because-i-think-that-there-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Asking an incumbent member of Congress to vote for term limits is a bit like asking a chicken to vote for Colonel Sanders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-inglis/asking-an-incumbent-member-of-congress-to-vote-for-term-limits-is-a/) [Bob Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-inglis/) ## More by Scott Rigell > [The sum of all the current regulations presents ever increasing hurdles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/the-sum-of-all-the-current-regulations-presents-ever-increasing/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) > [I think we need people in Washington who really have more of a sense of a George Washington approach to it, which is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-think-we-need-people-in-washington-who-really-have-more-of-a-sense/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) > [I really believe that Donald Trump is so polarizing even within the Republican Party that he will fail to have a majority if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-really-believe-that-donald-trump-is-so-polarizing-even-within-the/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) > [I truly believe Donald Trump is not a true conservative. His values as a Republican or a self-described Republican, when he mocks the disabled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-truly-believe-donald-trump-is-not-a-true-conservative-his-values-as/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) > [Have the government get out of the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/have-the-government-get-out-of-the-way/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) > [And I think that every American - this is an all-hands-on-deck moment for America. And I think it is good and important that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/and-i-think-that-every-american-this-is-an-all-hands-on-deck-moment/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) > [I would not vote for the Democratic candidate. I could not vote for Donald Trump. I would therefore have to write in someone. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-would-not-vote-for-the-democratic-candidate-i-could-not-vote-for/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) > [My Republican colleagues say, Let's do the cuts first. The Democrats say, Let's do spending first. I'd like to do both simultaneously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/my-republican-colleagues-say-let-s-do-the-cuts-first-the-democrats/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) > [I am a strong advocate for Marco Rubio. I think he is the kind of individual and leader who can expand our party. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-am-a-strong-advocate-for-marco-rubio-i-think-he-is-the-kind-of/) [Scott Rigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) [Explore all 10 Scott Rigell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/) ## More Benefits quotes > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-think-of-education-as-the-means-of-developing-our-greatest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. That issue related to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/i-won-the-seat-of-oxley-largely-on-an-issue-that-has-resulted-in-me/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) > [Intelligence is a separate gift, for the benefit of students, so that they may think of themselves as intellectual and not very intelligent, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/intelligence-is-a-separate-gift-for-the-benefit-of-students-so-that/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I've always said that I benefit, as an actor, from not having the illusion of security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-ve-always-said-that-i-benefit-as-an-actor-from-not-having-the/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [Benefits received are a delight to us as long as we think we can requite them; when that possibility is far exceeded, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/benefits-received-are-a-delight-to-us-as-long-as-we-think-we-can/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) [Browse all 3,616 Benefits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've declined every congressional benefit I could decline, federal health insurance, the retirement program, the 403(b) program, which I think is overly generous. I've got self-imposed term limits of six terms if I have the privilege to serve that long.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Rigell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefit-i-could-decline-federal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Benefits" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefit-i-could-decline-federal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/scott-rigell-41996_benefits_i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefi_2022947.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/scott-rigell-41996_benefits_i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefi_2022947.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b95/scott-rigell-41996_benefits_i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefi_2022947.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've declined every congressional benefit I could decline, federal health insurance, the retirement program…” — Scott Rigell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Scott Rigell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-rigell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've declined every congressional benefit I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefit-i-could-decline-federal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-rigell/i-ve-declined-every-congressional-benefit-i-could-decline-federal/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```