A Bipartisan Effort to Restore Benefits
The House is expected to vote on the Social Security Fairness Act this week, despite a recent attempt by the Freedom Caucus to derail the effort. This bipartisan bill aims to ensure full Social Security benefits for workers who also receive other pensions.
the "government pensions offset" (GPO) and the "windfall elimination provision" (WEP). The GPO reduces spousal or widow(er) benefits for those who receive noncovered pensions, while the WEP reduces benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes.
These provisions disproportionately impact public sector workers, such as teachers, firefighters, and police officers, who often receive pensions from their employers. By repealing the GPO and WEP, the Social Security Fairness Act would ensure that these workers receive the full benefits they have earned.
The bill has garnered significant bipartisan support, with over 300 lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, signing on as co-sponsors. Additionally, groups like the National Association of Counties have voiced their support, citing the potential for the bill to help address labor shortages in the public sector.
Despite this broad support, the Freedom Caucus attempted to block the bill's progress using a procedural maneuver. However, this move only set back the procedural rule, not the bill itself. The legislation is still expected to move forward with a House vote in the coming week.
If passed by the House, the bill would then need to clear the Senate before being sent to President Biden's desk. The wide margin of support in the House suggests that the bill has a good chance of passing both chambers and becoming law.
If enacted, the Social Security Fairness Act would take effect for benefits payable after December 2023. This would ensure that workers who have been unfairly penalized by the GPO and WEP provisions finally receive the full Social Security benefits they deserve.