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Senate lawmakers have officially passed new legislation that will restore full Social Security benefits to nearly 3 million public sector workers and their families.
Some shit you should know before you read: Back in 1983, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) was introduced to reduce Social Security benefits for retirees who also earned pensions from public sector jobs not covered by Social Security, resulting in significant benefit reductions for those with mixed public and private sector careers. Additionally, the Government Pension Offset (GPO), enacted earlier in 1977, slashed or eliminated spousal and survivor benefits for individuals whose spouses received public pensions, leaving many widows and widowers with only a fraction of the support they expected. According to lawmakers, these provisions impacted nearly 3 million Americans, disproportionately affecting teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public servants who dedicated their careers to public service.
What’s going on now: In a 76-20 vote, the Senate passed the Social Security Fairness Act, a piece of legislation aimed at restoring full Social Security benefits to the nearly 3 million retirees and their families. The bill will eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. The legislation will not include provisions for backpay to compensate for past Social Security benefits lost due to the previous laws, though once signed by President Biden, it will apply to benefits moving forward.
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who pushed the legislation forward, said, “Social Security is a bedrock of our middle class. You pay into it for 40 quarters, you earned it, it should be there when you retire. All these workers are asking for is for what they earned.”
Another view: Despite bipartisan support, some Republican lawmakers criticized the Social Security Fairness Act over its projected cost, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will add $196 billion to the federal deficit over the next decade. Opponents, like Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), argued that the bill unfairly burdens the 96% of the workforce that pays into Social Security to subsidize benefits for the remaining 4% who contribute to separate pension systems.
