Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has introduced legislation to bar lawmakers convicted of sexual abuse from receiving federal pensions, a proposal that will get a lot of attention after former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) was accused of sexually assaulting a former staffer.

“Right now, a member of Congress can be convicted of sexual abuse and still receive a taxpayer-funded pension. That is unacceptable,” Hawley said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

“I’m introducing legislation to end this loophole and ensure that lawmakers are never compensated with taxpayer dollars after such a breach of trust. The only thing the government should be paying for is a jail cell for these people,” he said.

The No Pensions for Congressional Predators Act would prohibit members of Congress convicted of felony sex crimes from receiving federal pensions.

Hawley says it would provide additional accountability in federal law for lawmakers who commit sex crimes.

“Right now, you could be convicted and still get your pension. The only thing that government ought to be paying for for people like Eric Swalwell is a jail cell,” Hawley said during an interview with Fox News’s Jesse Watters.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has called on Congress to revoke the pensions of Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who both resigned from public office this week because of allegations of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell has denied the allegations of sexual assault.

Boebert said Swalwell and Gonzales should have been expelled and not allowed the more dignified exit of tendering their resignations.

“And I think that we actually need to look into ways to censure, with other aspects to say you can’t have your pension, you can’t leave here with all your taxpayer-funded benefits after such shameful acts that cause you to bow out and resign from Congress,” Boebert told CNN’s Manu Raju.

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