Bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) that aims to protect retirees’ Social Security payments continues to gain support and as of Feb. 7 had garnered 139 congressional cosponsors.
The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, H.R. 82, which Rep. Graves introduced on Jan. 9 with seven original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), would fully repeal both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), two 1980s-era federal laws that could massively cut or totally eliminate Social Security payments for retirees, according to information provided by the congressman’s office.
The WEP, a formula used to reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who paid into both civil service pensions and Social Security throughout their careers, affects two million Social Security beneficiaries. The GPO, which reduces the spousal dependent benefits of individuals who did not pay into Social Security themselves by two-thirds of their government pension, impacts 780,000 retirees, the information says.
“WEP and GPO only provide a disincentive or penalize thousands of Louisiana’s public servants,” said Rep. Graves. “Our teachers, police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, and other local and state public servants — and their spouses or survivors — have been wrongly penalized.
“We will keep fighting to get them the full retirement benefits they paid for, including those who have already retired,” he said. “We’re not giving up.”
The Fraternal Order of Police, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 17, the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, and the National Education Association also support the bill, which is under consideration in the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.
“I want to thank Congressman Graves for his continued partnership on this issue,” said Rep. Spanberger. “I am looking forward to finally righting this wrong and making sure America’s federal employees, teachers, police officers, and firefighters receive the retirement security they deserve.”