November 06, 2024
Retirees Call on Speaker Johnson to Bring Social Security Fairness Act to the House Floor
The following statement was issued by Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding House Freedom Caucus members’ attempts to try to kill the Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82:
“Yesterday while Americans were focused on Election Day, two members of the House Freedom Caucus blocked 2.5 million retired public workers or their spouses from receiving the Social Security benefits that they have earned.
“The bill that Reps. Bob Good (R-VA) and Andy Harris (R-MD) tried to kill has more than 300 bipartisan co-sponsors, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. If they thought no one would notice, they were sorely mistaken.
“The members of the Alliance for Retired Americans are calling on Speaker Johnson to bring the Social Security Fairness Act to the floor for a vote this month, as planned. This issue affects millions of Americans, and the bill to restore their benefit deserves an up or down vote on the merits.
“The Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82, 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. As a result, many face economic hardship during retirement.”
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Contact: David Blank, dblank@retiredamericans.org
Having recently started to draw Social Security and I find my benefits reduced by 55%. From an earned quarters benefit of $1190 to $586 per month. Talk about devastating. I retired from Post office In 2016 and needed additional quarters for Social Security as I had prior 4 years in the US Air Force, approximately 8 months as a civilian at Randolph AFB.
Congress always cites the Social Security fiscal problems.
All financial issues in SS are the result of action or inaction by congress.
1. SS Has over 60 K employees, 1500 offices, 10 Regional Centers, 6 Processing Centers, at least 2 Offices of Earnings and International Operations (In Mexico) with many FBUs (Federal Benefits Units) all over the world paid by American Taxpayers. They are run thru US Embassies State Department. In short they are a set of International Totalization Agreements designed to give foreigners credit in SS for time worked in foreign countries. Why do you think they come to the U.S.? Look it up it will set your hair on fire. We need a total repeal of WEP GPO. As of today we have 330 congressional Cosponsors and 62 senate Cosponsors. Over 90% bipartisan support. Unfortunately my 2 senators in Texas, Cruz and Cornyn and my TX 21 Rep Roy are not in support. I have asked them thru phone messages, emails thru Bill Blaster and even in person to Senator Cruz where I was allowed about 30 seconds
Yes I agree ! I just retired myself and I have 25 years in private sector and 23 years in local governments.
We need this law passed ! My father was a notch baby and they took his money also !
I am in New Mexico and I know of a person who moved here from Texas because she couldn’t get the disability benefits like she does her. Governor Lujan Grisham is a Democrat and she stands up for us.
I was a 40 year public works employee in Massachusetts, grateful for that job but never paid enough to make ends meet. To that end I worked part-time jobs in the evenings weekends, and post retirement for which I have contributed to SS. I estimate that with WEP GPO in place I would receive something like $150/month SS but if it is eliminated it would increase to about $900. I always worked hard, never collected unemployment and only asking for what I deserve. Social Security should not be funded at the demise of those that worked for it.
Exactly, I have worked part time as well. Because some people can’t work like they use to. I guess the government wants us to work until we die. And not get a break.
I retired in 2009 and have not received a cost of living increase since I retired. I am unable to receive my full amount of Social Security due the unfair WEP penalty. Pleased bring the bill to a vote to remove this unfair penalty.
I think it’s a damn shame that the very people we as citizens put into office, always find a way to screw us some more. Republican or Democrat, YOU ARE THERE TO SERVE US, NOT YOURSELVES!!! These “laws” are a travesty to the retirees and their spouses. We need our “paid into” benefits!! Keep your hands off our money and please return it to us. You don’t even appreciate the tremendous hours of work we all put in to get “our Senators and Representatives” to cosponsor these bills.
SHAME ON YOU FOR TRYING TO THROW THIS UNDER THE TABLE!!!
PS I will be waiting for an apology to me and millions of others that deserve it!!!
Ed Myers
Retired Educator
This is sickening. I still work part time and receive Social Security. It’s not enough.
Please RECALL HR82,
Please sign the recall of HR82.
Time to fix this injustice! 330 bipartisan cosponsors in congress and 62 bipartisan cosponsors in the senate.
We expect you to hold you to YOUR WORD! Or was this just the “same old, same old”…just to get our vote before the election, only to pull back your cosponsorship after the election
How can two representatives stop an entire process that has taken years to repeal?
How sad that HR 82 had so many cosponsors, and was “killed” on election night so expeditiously!
I know that President Trump would have supported, and signed, HR 82. He abolished the “Widows Tax” that gave we survivors our “full” survivor benefits! Yes, I am affected by the offsets. I gave 40 years of my life to civil service and payed into social security as well as my deceased US Army Sergeant Major husband. I didn’t receive his social security, and was told by Social Security “that I made too much”!
This really hurts and saddens me that deserving individuals who were, in such a small amount of time on election night, sadly were not compassionately in the thoughts of those responsible for HR82s disapproval. Thank you.
I WORKED 19 YEARS, USUALLY 2 TO 3 JOBS AT A TIME BEFORE ENTERING LAW ENFORCEMENT & WORKING EXTRA JOBS W/ SS TAXES TAKEN OUT. MY YEARLY SS BENEFIT STATEMENT SHOWED I was to receive $2000 monthly. Now that I’m retired , I’m receiving $41 per mth and sending ss Admin $53.80 per month for health insurance. I PUT MY LIFE ON THE LINE FOR THE PUBLIC & AS A SINGLE PARENT WITH NO FAMILY IN MY STATE, SACRIFICED NEED LIMITED time for my daughter, who now has PTSD after leaving the Army. I feel my country has turned their back on me & my family.
Senator Cruz and Cornyn:
I would be ashamed for not supporting HB82. What if your wife’s had retired from the public school system and had worked in the public sector prior. Their SS benefits would be drastically cut. They would receive none of yours after passing.
We must fix this error!
I need my social security I earned and paid for, for 25 years. I do get a state pension, but it was reduced 50% due to an injury I obtained working in a California state prison. I am not old enough for Medicare, so still pay my full premium for health care, co pays, out of pocket And last year I started my Social Security and it was reduced by 2/3. Plus I don’t qualify per social security for social security disability,because I have a pension. So safety workers, teachers, public servants and first responders are the ones paying to high a price. For career choices, unknowingly entering a null and void contract with our federal system. No one told me I would be penalized for paying it all and getting less than half back in my golden years. If our government who enforced these changes to our retirement years. Then why did you exempt yourself from the WEP/GOP? Our government enforces stealing our money, yet those that serve and protect get less. This is so wrong and deceitful. Please do the right thing for your fellow servants and Repeal the Steal!
I cannot feel anything but overwhelming disappointment if this is not brought to the floor for vote. Thousands of hours of work in behalf of those affected by WEP went into bringing this bill to the point of vote for the switch to be flipped so effortlessly and without care. Please vote on this bill. It is egregious not to.
I’m a retired teacher. I receive $370 a month from SS. I worked in the private sector for over 15 years before teaching. Shame on the so called “Freedom Caucus” for taking food off my table and heat out of my home. How can 2 misguided and idiotic representatives override the will of over almost 400 (House + Senate) elected representatives? Shame on them.
I retired from the USPS in 2009. My CSRS annuity was insufficient to lead a comfortable life. Because of the WEP/ GPO I was denied my social security retirement at age 65. I went back to work in the private sector under social security in 2010 . I finally earned a severely diminished social security annuity but it is insufficient to have a comfortable life. I urge you to press forward and urge the passing of HR 82. There are many other individuals in the same predicament as I am. We have paid into social security and deserve our retirement annuity.
I taught in LA for 46 years and worked second and sometimes third jobs to make ends meet. I was told my pension was too high(!!) for me to qualify for my earned benefits. My husband passed before he could receive his benefits and again I was denied spousal survivor benefits. This is blatant robbery!!
Mr.Johnson, bring the bill to the floor for a vote. What they did while we were voting was against the rules. They should be removed from the House like George Santos was, bring the bill to the floor!!!!
My husband and I are retired teachers. Even though we earned our 40 quarters and worked SS jobs other than teaching, our SS is cut in half. Because of these cuts we are not credited with enough SS to pay our Part B Medicare. We must pay hundreds of dollars each every year to obtain Part B. It also affects survivors benefits.
Please support H.B 82 to short first responders, public school teachers, and other public workers.
Please repeal the WEP. I am a retired teacher and school counselor. I continue to work and pay into social security. I would be eligible to receive benefits if not for the WEP! Please repeal this terrible law. I am 67 and continue to work. I feel that I am punished for being a public servant.
We have paid into SS. We have earned 40 quarters. But because I live in MA, my SS is impacted as I was a teacher. I worked most summers and during college at jobs other than teaching. MA is a state where collecting SS would be double dipping. Yet in many other states teacher can collect SS. This is not fair.
I also have earned forty quarter hours. My social security payments have been drastically reduced and I do not qualify for my husband’s if he passes . I do not consider this double dipping since I payed into the system and qualify for the payments that I have earned.
Thank you for your consideration……
I had 14 quarters in SS when I was put out of work in 2008. I found work that was a state pension job. Worked there for 13 years until COVID came along. Now I get $986 monthly from pension andmy SS is reduced to $378 monthly because of WEP. This is not right at all!! Fix this mess please!
“Reps. Bob Good (R-VA) and Andy Harris (R-MD) tried to kill has” Don’t these people realize that a sizable percentage of their constituent’s in Maryland and Virginia live in states that have many retired public employees and they deserve to be treated fairly. Shame on them! I don’t see either of them suffering because their social security was stolen due to WEP
I am 74 years old and still working due to the fact that when I retire, my spousal Social Security benefits will be cut. I need this money in order to live above poverty please pass this bill thank you.
I worked 29 years as a Deputy Sheriff. I’m 70 years old.
Worked side jobs all 29 years to be able to draw a SS check. After retiring as a Deputy Sheriff I worked full time for 16 years and paid into SS only to find out when I fully retired my SS check was cut in half because of my county pension. Speaker Johnson bring H.R. 82 to a vote. Also if Rep. Good & Harris violated any rules in their sneaky action to table the bill take action against them. Next week I have to make a decision to go back to work .
This Country has enough money to support this passage by only cutting out the wasted tax dollars.
I have been a school teacher for 32 years!! Now I draw SS and they keep 2/3 of my benefits because I have a teacher retirement and I paid into both for over 14 years!!! I have paid into SS to be able to draw but can’t get it fully because of the Windfall act! I also pay for my Medicare out of the small amount I draw. Please step up and help all the public servants who have worked for years and cannot draw their fair share!! Please help these middle to lower class Americans who deserve to draw because they paid into SS!!
Dear Speaker Johnson,
Please bring H.R.82 to the floor for a vote. This bill to stop the WEP/GPO is vital to so many of us who worked as public servants! I was an educator for 26 years before I retired, but worked many years paying into social security before starting my teaching career. I had no idea that I would not be able to draw my full benefit at the time that I retired because of my pension from teaching. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but after my Medicare is taken out of my Social Security each month I get a whopping $54.90! Let me repeat that, $54.90! At age 74, if anything should happen to my husband, God forbid, I could not draw against his Social Security either and he has worked and paid in his entire life! This is so unfair when others from other states are allowed to draw their full benefits and those of us in a handful of states are not! It’s not just unfair, it is discrimination and it needs to be fixed now!
Go to Stephan K Bannons Waroom and load the free APP. All the numbers to contact your representatives y email and phone are there.
Get everyone you to call starting Tuesday.
Make your voice heard!
The question is
Why are foreigners given credit for work in another country.
With the International Totalization Agreements with 30 other countries American payers in to SS fund giving benefits with very little work in US. As an example coming from Mexico you can have a minimum of 6 quarters worked in US and your work time in Mexico be credited on US Social Security. Enough to draw a full basic benefit after only 6 quarters worked in US. What!!!!!!
In Texas , my congressional delegation is opposed to a total repeal of WEP GPO thru passage of HR 82 and SB 597. Senators Cruz and Cornyn and Tx 21 Rep Chip Roy do not support this important measure hurting Texans and and as many as 2-3 million Americans.
All we are asking for is SS benefits paid for earned quarters worked.
Everyone needs to look at all their old statements received from Social Security to have your hair set on fire!
It reads “ Social Security benefits are not intended to be your only source of income when you retire. On average Social Security will replace about 40% of your annual preretirement earnings. You will need other savings,
Investments, pensions or retirement accounts to live comfortably when you retire.”
We have done that, we have worked hard and did what Social Security advised. Now we are being penalized.
Am hurting and every 3rd wed of month when I get a hammered reduction of my earned benefits.
I worked in the private sector over 27 years, then decided to start a career in teaching. I retired after 17 years. But in the middle of my teaching career I found out that I would receive a percentage of my Social Security because of WEP. I was heartbroken. I felt betrayed. WEP is highway robbery. Social Security has been stealing money for over 40 years. This is our money!!! I stand with many before me-please help us correct this unjust law and “stop the steal.”
Don’t stop at only your states 2 Senators
Every US Senator needs to be contacted daily, the total list is on Bill Blaster App (Direcfory).
There is only 21 days left in the 118th Senate Session.
Check the Senate in session on C SPAN daily, Notarious Waste of Time on what they have been doing for the last couple of months
They must do the work that will help millions of Americans
Live better lives and does not penalize retirees for choosing Public Service and Private Work as their path to retirement.
Bring it to a vote today! Vote yea on SB 597!