January 05, 2025
Connecticut Alliance President Introduces President Biden at Social Security Fairness Act Bill Signing Ceremony
Millions of Americans Will Now Receive the Full Social Security Benefits They Earned
Washington, DC – President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82, into law at the White House today.
The ceremony is the culmination of decades of grassroots activism by Alliance members and it follows House and Senate passage of the legislation in December. Bette Marafino, Co-Chair of the National WEP-GPO Repeal Task Force, President of the Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans, and retired community college professor introduced President Biden.
Other Alliance leaders and members, including President Robert Roach, Jr., Executive Director Richard Fiesta, and Roger Boudreau, Alliance Regional Board Member, attended the event.
Under the law, nearly 3 million Americans paid into Social Security but because of their public service were not eligible for benefits. These retirees will now be eligible to receive hundreds to thousands in retirement benefits each year, retroactively to 2024.
“My widowed maternal grandmother, who had six children was so grateful that my grandfather’s Social Security benefit would keep her out of the poor house,” said Marafino. “I think the vivid impression of that poor house motivated me and others on our Task Force to help correct the injustice of the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. No president has done more for older Americans than President Biden, and we are forever grateful that he signed this bill into law.”
“For years the government has taken away Social Security benefits from millions of retired federal, state and local government employees who worked as teachers, police, firefighters, postal workers and general employees,” said Richard Fiesta. “Repeal of the WEP-GPO is long-overdue and would not have happened without the tenacity of Alliance members across the country who built a grassroots coalition and passed this law with strong bipartisan support.”
The Social Security Fairness Act eliminates the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which unfairly reduce Social Security benefits for public sector retirees who receive a public pension — or the spouse or survivor of a Social Security beneficiary — who worked in a job not covered by the Social Security program.
The WEP and GPO disproportionately affect lower-income workers and women.
“We thank all the activists and elected officials who helped pass this law,” Fiesta added. “As a result of their efforts more Americans will be able to enjoy the more secure retirement they earned.”
Video from the event is available on YouTube.
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Note to media: To speak to an Alliance leader or member about the impact of the Social Security Fairness Act and the grassroots work to pass the law, please contact Lisa Cutler at lcutler@retiredamericans.org
