Tell Congress to Pass the Social Security Fairness Act, NOW!

As we celebrate our nation this summer, what could be better than honoring and respecting our public service workers – postal workers, teachers, police officers, firefighters, foreign pension recipients, and many more – who have tirelessly fought to be free from unjust penalties? As we have done in past years, retirees recognize the anniversaries of Social Security signed into law in August 1935 and Medicare, which was signed into law in July 1965. For 48 years, any retiree paying into Social Security reaped fair and equitable benefits from Social Security. Unfortunately, over the last 40 years, millions of retirees no longer celebrate the anniversary of Social Security because Congress enacted the Government Pension Offset (GPO) in 1977, and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) in 1983.

The WEP reduces Social Security benefits for workers that pay into the Social Security system, but who also worked additional job(s) that did not pay into Social Security.

The GPO reduces Social Security benefits to spouses or widows by two-thirds if they receive a retirement or disability pension based on other employment – such as the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), state pensions, or local pensions – that did not pay into the Social Security system. The WEP and the GPO has overwhelmingly affected public employees who served our nation, kept us safe and secure, educated our children, and kept our government running at the local, state, and federal levels.

The WEP unfairly cuts the earned benefits of public service workers and foreign pensioners, and the GPO reduces or denies spousal and survivor benefits. They will not reap the full Social Security benefits they are paying for now, as employees. They contributed to the Social Security system at the same rate as other employees who contribute to Social Security, yet they are denied an equitable benefit for those contributions. They qualified for Social Security benefits just as other citizens have, and they should not be penalized because they chose to serve our community through public service.

We are still waiting for Congress to enact the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R.82 and S.597) legislation which, if passed, would repeal the WEP and the GPO and provide a fair return on their investment in the Social Security system. Those CSRS annuitants as well as many local and state government annuitants, such as teachers, firefights, and the police cannot relax and enjoy their retirement when they know that they are being denied the full Social Security benefits that they should receive.

Now is the time for Congress to act. The House Ways and Means Committee and Subcommittee on Social Security have acknowledged that the penalties imposed by the WEP and GPO are disproportionate and fundamentally unfair. Congress can move these bills to the floor and pass them. With 322 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 59 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate, our elected officials have spoken for their constituents. Now it is time for the Congressional leadership to rectify these discriminatory policies and advance H.R. 82 & S.597 to a successful conclusion. We must put the pressure on Congress by writing letters, calling and sending them emails asking them to cosponsor and vote for the Social Security Fairness Act. To contact your representatives, call 1-202-224-3121 or use the APWU Legislative Hotline at 1-844-402-1001 to remind your Congressional Representatives that while Social Security celebrates its 89th anniversary in August 2024 and, we want our fair share of the Anniversary Cake! ■