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A bipartisan plan aimed at securing retirement benefits for public employees has been quietly gathering steam in Congress, representing a substantial boost to address a long-standing wrong. The Social Security Fairness Act, championed by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Garret Graves (R-La.), targets the repeal of two provisions, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), embedded in the Social Security Act. These provisions have long been criticized for unfairly reducing or altogether eliminating Social Security benefits for people who have devoted much of their careers to serving the public, including educators, federal employees, firefighters and police officers.
Reintroduced at the beginning of the 118th Congress in January 2023, the bill has rapidly amassed 290 co-sponsors in the U.S. House. The legislation was able to reach this milestone a full year earlier than in the 117th Congress, largely thanks to the efforts of grassroots activists, including thousands of AFT members. In a recent press conference, the lawmakers emphasized the urgency of moving the bill to a vote and reiterated the need to refocus repeal efforts in the U.S. Senate where there remains a 15-co-sponsor deficit before the legislation has any hope of progressing.
During a news conference on Sept. 13, Spanberger and Graves emphasized the importance of addressing this long-standing issue, highlighting that for over 40 years, dedicated public employees have seen their hard-earned benefits diverted into the Social Security Trust Fund without receiving the same returns guaranteed to other Americans.
“This is a basic issue of fairness,” said Rep. Spanberger, underscoring the critical need to prioritize the rights and benefits of those who have devoted themselves to public service. The overwhelming support for the bill, which ranks third in co-sponsorship among all legislation, underscores the consensus that action must be taken to correct this historical injustice.
Dennis Cox, an AFT retiree from California, voiced the sentiments of many retirees, emphasizing that they are not seeking entitlements but rather demanding the full benefits they diligently paid for throughout their careers.
The rallying cry for reform has seen a groundswell of support, uniting public employees from all corners of the nation. During a National WEP/GPO Repeal Task Force rally, also on Sept. 13, retiree Suzie Dixon emphasized the need to end the burdens faced by various professionals in their senior years and enable them to retire with dignity.
The Alliance for Retired Americans, through its president Robert Roach Jr., extended its support, stressing that the repeal of the WEP/GPO is essential to ensure hundreds of thousands of retirees receive the Social Security benefits they have earned. The repercussions of these provisions go beyond individual beneficiaries, impacting families across the nation, said Roach.
AFT President Randi Weingarten pinpointed the core issue, reiterating that everyone who pays into Social Security should rightfully access those benefits, regardless of their recent work history. She emphasized that rectifying the injustice embedded in these provisions was crucial to ensuring a secure retirement for countless Americans who had diligently contributed to the system. “Nothing happens without activism,” said Weingarten who noted how glad she was to see members of the labor movement at the rally. “We have to be that frontline and those activists for every single person who's gotten hurt by this,” she said.
Noel Candelaria, secretary-treasurer of the National Education Association, noted the urgency of congressional action to protect the retirement benefits of all public employees. The repeal of the unfair provisions is seen as a necessary step toward attracting and retaining talent in crucial sectors, such as education, he said.
As the momentum builds, the message to Congress is clear: It's time to act and restore the benefits that hardworking public employees have earned and duly deserve.
[Adrienne Coles]