The majority of the U.S. House of Representatives now supports the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act of 2021, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL).
“It’s great to see a majority of my colleagues in the House cosponsor our bipartisan bill,” said Rep. Davis, who introduced H.R. 82 in January with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). As of Oct. 12, the bill has 231 cosponsors.
“The Social Security Fairness Act ensures that public servants like police officers who work a second job or change careers after years of service will not face a possible 40 percent reduction in their Social Security benefits,” the congressman said.
If enacted, H.R. 82 would repeal provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government. Specifically, H.R. 82 would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
The WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefits of an individual who also receives a public pension from a job not covered by Social Security. The GPO affects the spousal benefits of people who work as federal, state, or local government employees — including educators, police officers, and firefighters — if the job is not covered by Social Security and reduces by two-thirds the benefit received by surviving spouses who also collect a government pension, according to information provided by Rep. Davis’ office.
“By repealing these outdated provisions that unfairly penalize public employees in Illinois, we can provide some certainty to retirees while helping to recruit the next generation of public servants,” Rep. Davis said. “I will continue to build support for our bill and hope that House leadership brings it to the floor for a vote soon.”
On Oct. 12, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) became the newest member to sign on as a cosponsor of H.R. 82.
“Preserving Social Security benefits for the men and women who are counting on them — including public servants who have dedicated their professional careers to public service — and placing our country back on a fiscally responsible track are critical not only for today’s seniors, but for the generations to come,” said Rep. Newhouse.
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association and the Fraternal Order of Police also support H.R. 82.