The
Social Security Fairness(?) Act
(3/30/21)
2021
Action Alert - New legislation (H.R.-82) introduced to
repeal GPO/WEP
Action Alert - It’s Time to push WEP & GPO Repeal!
2020
Action Alert - Tell Those Legislative Aids
Action Alert - Sign a Petition
to repeal GPO/WEP
Action Alert - Tell us how you are doing
Action Alert - Why
the Government Pension Offset is WRONG!
This is a reference page for you to use when documenting
the negative effects of the Government Pension Offset.
-
2019
Where do the Presidential candidates stand on GPO/WEP?
H.R. 3934
was introduced on July 28, 2019 to 'fix' WEP.
H.R.141 and S.521 are gaining
momentum.
New legislation has been introduced to repeal the GPO and
WEP!
2018
Demand a vote!
Is Social Security too broke for Repeal?
2017 Update
We are in the Crosshairs—Again!
On October 3, first term Louisiana Republican Senator
John Kennedy spoke on the floor of the Senate about why they
need to get rid of the Government Pension Offset and the
Windfall Elimination Provision. See
a glimmer of hope from the right.
See an Action
Alert for a description of and the reasoning behind the
two programs that reduce the amount of Social Security we can
receive.
The fight to repeal the Government Pension Offset and the
Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) has been long and
frustrating, but there are still reasons for hope. WEP is
federal legislation signed in 1983 that limits or eliminates
social security monthly payouts for those people in state or
local pension systems that did not contribute to social security
even if they received credits in other jobs.
- Even though in the past we have had less support
from Republicans than from Democrats, there are members of
Congress from both sides of the aisle who realize that the
offset and provision are either poorly written or just plain
wrong.
- In late February, H.R. 1205, the new House bill to
fully repeal both the GPO and the WEP was introduced by
Rodney Davis of Illinois, and it already has 89 co-sponsors.
- Republicans often see the WEP as poorly written and
making no sense from a financial point of view. In addition,
many of them find it problematic that the offset and
provision were imposed on us with no warning. (A 2005 law
required that NEW employees of non-Social Security-covered
positions must be inform about GPO and WEP).
- It is likely that there will be some major changes
to Social Security, either in this present 115th Congress
(2017-2018) or the next one. Therefore, we need to continue
pressuring Congress.
Immediate action is needed: Find out if your member of
Congress has signed onto H.R. 1205, the Social Security Fairness
Act of 2017. The list, linked
here, can be sorted by state.
You can find your Representative on this
list. Save his or her number on your phone or save
the comment page. Thank your representative if his or her name
is on the co-sponsors list. If your representative is not yet a
co-sponsor, explain how the GPO and WEP has unfairly punished
you for working as a public servant. (Congressional
Representatives are also working as a public servants!)
2015 Update
There are very few Senators who have signed onto the new Senate
GPO/WEP repeal bill, proposed by Sherrod Brown, (S. 915). Right
now it is just: Collins, Murkowski, Baldwin, Heller, McCaskill,
King, and Murphy. You can always check on signers in
both the House and Senate by using the link on our home page. Ssfairness.com.
Last year we had a Senate
bill (S
1651) introduced by Senator Brown from Ohio with 18
cosponsors, in addition, a companion
bill, House Bill HR
973, was introduced by Representative Davis of
Illinois with 122 cosponsors. AS
AN ALTERNATE, Representative Brady from Texas introduced HR
711 and had 43 cosponsors. This bill would have
provided a tax credit for the Social Security that we should
have received.
A couple of things to think about:
The current members of the House of Representatives are the most
junior group that has been on the Hill for a great many years. A
very large number of them have only been in Washington for 1-3
terms. They may not know about the Offsets. They need to hear
from us!
Many employee groups have not made their voices heard despite
the fact that they will be affected by the offsets. We need to
get them involved!
Don't forget to also send hand-written notes to your legislators
and their aides. Sometimes they make more impact. Phone calls
asking for the Representative's position are helpful. (If they
tell you what their position is, for or against our bills,
please let us know so we can keep track.)
Thank you for being firm and persistent!
Repeal the WEP and GPO! For more information, go to ssfairness.com.
See also the NRTA Conference page.
Back to the RTAC Home page.
Back to the Pending Bills page.