Congress is moving closer to voting on a bill that would eliminate rules that reduce Social Security benefits for some pensioners. The Social Security Fairness Act aims to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions impact nearly 3 million Americans.
On Thursday, a discharge petition to force a vote on the bill reached the required 218 signatures. Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Garret Graves (R-La.) marked the milestone outside the Capitol building. They were joined by representatives from organizations of police, firefighters, postal workers, teachers, and other government employees affected by these rules.
The WEP cuts Social Security benefits for individuals receiving pension income from public roles that did not contribute Social Security payroll taxes but also paid into the program through other work. The GPO reduces spousal benefits for certain government employees who didn’t pay Social Security taxes. Lois Carson, president of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, spoke about the tough retirement decisions she had to make due to these laws.
“I continue to work after 37 years because if I retire, I will lose half of my funding because of this law,” Carson shared.
Congress nears crucial vote
The bill has strong bipartisan support, with 327 co-sponsors in the House and 62 in the Senate.
However, it still faces uncertainties. Time constraints may limit its progress, according to Emerson Sprick from the Bipartisan Policy Center. Some experts argue that adjusting the WEP and GPO rules to be fairer might be more feasible than repealing them entirely.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the repeal would cost around $196 billion over ten years. Social Security is already facing a trust fund shortfall, with combined funds projected to run out by 2035. Concerns have also been raised that repealing these rules may create a more generous income replacement formula for workers with combined public and private work histories compared to those who have consistently contributed to Social Security throughout their careers.
The House is expected to vote on the bill in the coming weeks. If passed, it will move to the Senate for consideration. Advocates plan to focus their efforts on the Senate bill while waiting for the House vote.
- CNBC.”House may force vote on bill to eliminate rules that reduce pensioners’ Social Security benefits”.
- FederalNewsNetwork.”Bill to repeal WEP, GPO reaches threshold to force a House floor vote”.
- CTMirror.”Social Security bill could raise benefits for some retirees in CT”.