Dole’s Annual Pension Totals at Least $107,000

With his departure from the Senate on Tuesday, Bob Dole has given up his annual salary, but he will still receive a substantial government check.

Dole will get at least $107,000 annually, based on his five years of military service, eight years in the House of Representatives and 27 years in the Senate.

According to a group that tracks public officials’ pensions and salaries, Dole’s combined years of service makes him eligible for an annual pension between $107,000 and $122,000.

The precise amount is not publicly known because it depends on whether the Kansan stayed in the old civil service retirement system or opted for the new system in 1987, according to David Keating, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union.

Dole’s Senate office declined to make any pension information available, but one staffer said he believed that the payment would be “closer to” $107,000.

Dole has been making $148,400, which included a stipend for his job as Senate Majority Leader. Most other senators receive $133,600 a year.

In addition to his pension, Dole will continue to receive military disability pay, which began when he was severely wounded as a young man toward the end of World War II. Last year, the annual payment totaled just over $17,000.