December 18, 2024
Retirees Want Final Passage after Cloture Vote to Restore Social Security Benefits so that Millions of Americans will Avoid Economic Hardship
The following statement was issued by Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, regarding the Senate’s 73-27 vote to reach cloture on H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act:
“Retirees are excited that the Senate reached cloture today on legislation to restore full Social Security benefits to millions of Americans. However, it is too soon to celebrate fully.
“The House also passed the Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82, on November 12, so the bill still needs final passage in the Senate before it can head to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature.
“This landmark legislation is a long time coming. The Alliance for Retired Americans has been working for decades to see this bill become law.
“For too long, 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 — benefits they earned when they worked other jobs.
“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. As a result of today’s vote, millions of Americans are now on the verge of avoiding economic hardship during their retirement.”
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Contact: David Blank, dblank@retiredamericans.org
I left a job after 15 years in order to further my education and have the career in education which is my passion. At age 70, I am still working full time as a faculty member at a community college. The crazy thing is I get my full retirement from Social Security as long as I keep working. When I retire I will lose half of my benefits when I need them, that is why I keep working. This is very unfair to someone who is a first generation college graduate and unfair to all retirees that paid into Social Security for 40+ quarters! Please pass the Social Security Fairness Act so I can finally retire.
Your wish has to its fruition! Retire will the respect you’ve earned! Many more blessings coming and thank you for your services!
I’ve waited years for this and am affected by both WEP & GPO. This is a great day for many and I thank those who made this happen.
Please get this passed you will never know how much this helps maybe we can keep up with the medical bills God bless everyone who worked on this bill
I hope these two legislative curses will be lifted soon. The whole world is watching to see who America treats its retirees who sacrificed so much only to be treated like flotsam.
I see there is opposition because of the cost, but it is so unfair that our benefits are not paid. We should not have to sacrifice any longer! Please get the senate to vote this week!
I am a retired teacher, and I have been affected by WEP for ten years!
Please support final appeal of WEP/GOP when it comes to vote again. This will ease an indue hardship on many retired public servants such as teachers, fit and polici officers. Thank you for consideration and support.
I have found that I will have to chose among buying groceries, paying for insurance or putting gas in my car.
The Sicial Security that I paid into for 25 years will be greatly reduced. My small teachers pension of 950.00 will not make it. At 67 years old I will be back working.
Senators, I implore you to get this load off of Americans’
back and make us proud of our country.
What truly stinks about the comments of Senator Manchin and others who claim to be American Stewarts is the reality that,in their remarks, Senators opposed to the repeal of the WEP and the GPO acknowledge that the 2 provisions were unfair and caused us to be unjustly harmed…but then the immediately pivot and blame us for the impending insolvency of a SS System that is BEING funded by the money we don’t receive because of the very things that are subject to the vote. Talk about a circular firing squad. Senator Paul, Senator Crapo, Senator Manchin, are you guys kidding me?
The Senate has been aware that these provisions were harming us for decades. Yet, rather than “ fix” the system, they simply let the robbery go on for 40 years. Do you get it now Senators?
Let me give you a clear example of the unfairness of the WEP.
2 True Cases. One is my own, and the other is my Family Physician. I worked 21 years and paid into the system every month. During the latter part of my career I was offered a job in a State/Local Govt area and I accepted. Upon my retirement I did my research and found that I was essentially going to lose between 30-40% of my SS Benefit due to the WEP. For the record I do get a small pension from my 9 year job. Bottom line: I’m reduced from a simple $980.00 pension to ( minus the $170 or so for Medicare minus approx. $480.00 as part of my WEP). Bottom line. I take home $350. Now the “ painful” part.
I turn to Physician. He is a high income learner, married, and his wife never worked a single day in her life. She raised her children. No problem. I get it. But she is gets 1/2 if her husband’s SS benefit as a Spouse. Her Physician husband makes the SS max. She gets 1/2.
Can you imagine the painful realization that I, who paid into the SS System for 21 years, will see my Benefits reduced by almost $550…. But someone who NEVER paid get 1/2 of the maximum. That is, my friends, cruel. It gets worse too.
This year my COLA was about $9.00. Two gallons of gas. My Doctor and wife get about $200. And year after year, COLA after COLA it grows.
My point: Senators… Stop putting the blame on us who are penalized by members of your club. You guys already know that you devised the WEP and GPO to clawback money Reagan Era. The truth is this my overstuffed and Ego inflated Senator friend….The SS Trust would already be insolvent 15 years ago if you weren’t taking our earned benefits and giving it to others who NEVER paid into the messed up system you created.
GET IT DONE!!!!!
I watched senator Cruz (r) on c span today talk about hr 82 fairness to public employees. he mentioned the price tag attached to this bill approximately 190 billion over the next ten years. he failed to mention how much the social security administration has saved on not paying out full benefits earned by retirees like myself affected by the wep/gpo. I have lost about 45000 dollars over the past 14 years, that I have been collecting social security retirement benefits. if you ask me this whole thing is smoking mirrors!! senator Cruz does not care about the middle class!
I don’t understand how they could have allowed people who have paid into the system be thrown under the bus after becoming senior citizens. It’s so obvious that these people who have no problem paying to keep their houses warm, their refrigerators full and their medicine cabinets supplied, care about anyone else. They certainly don’t represent seniors who are not at the top of the pay scale.
I retired from local government after 22 years which is less than the 30 years required. Since my SS was reduced due to the WEP we are really struggling. My wife was home most of my career and has very minimal ss income. We have been living off of our savings that is being exhausted. Obtaining my full SS benefits will allow us to struggle less and not have to worry about paying bills on a month to month basis. It will provide us with about an additional $400 to $500/mo and that really matters. I feel that I earned it much like those that were not penalized.