Labor leaders, members of Congress urge the Senate to repeal GPO-WEP. Sen. Schumer announced he will bring repeal bill to a vote.

WASHINGTON – Today on Capitol Hill, public service workers from across the country rallied with national labor leaders to call on the Senate to vote on the Social Security Fairness Act — bipartisan legislation to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). The bill passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support in November.

 

At the event, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that he will bring the bill to a vote in the Senate.

 

The GPO-WEP unjustly targets those who have dedicated their careers to public service — such as fire fighters, teachers, police officers, sanitation workers, postal workers and more. This leaves over 2 million retirees vulnerable to cuts to their already modest Social Security benefits, drastically decreasing their quality of life in retirement.

 

 

Ohio Association of Public School Employees, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lois Carson said:

“I worked for Columbus City Schools for over 40 years. I dedicated my career to helping improve the lives of children in my community — but when I retire, I am concerned I won’t have access to the full benefits I’ve earned to support myself and my loved ones. I financially support my daughter, who has multiple sclerosis and my grandson. Full access to Social Security would finally give me, and tens of thousands of AFSCME members, peace of mind that we could afford to retire and continue to help our families. For now, I will keep working and worrying about long-term finances until GPO-WEP is finally repealed.”

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Edward Kelly said:

 

“Repealing the unfair WEP and GPO penalties has been a top priority for the IAFF for years. Now, thanks to the bipartisan efforts in the House, we’re closer than ever to winning this decades-old fight. Labor is uniting to make our position clear — the Senate needs to pass the Social Security Fairness Act. Firefighters, teachers and other public service workers have waited long enough.”

 

 

“The workers and retirees I talk to all want the same thing: a fair shot. Folks want to trust that, if they work hard and do the right thing, they can live and retire with dignity. I hear it from teachers, firefighters, police officers, postal workers, and so many others who are directly affected by the Social Security Fairness Act. During Ronald Reagan’s administration, the government cut the hard-earned retirement benefits of millions of workers who paid into the program. The Social Security benefits they earned were slashed if they took a second job after they retired — benefits were even reduced for their surviving spouse. This bipartisan legislation would end those cuts and restore the basic fairness of the Social Security program. The 13 million workers in our federation are standing together and telling the Senate: It’s time to get this done. The AFL-CIO thanks Majority Leader Schumer, Senators Brown and Warren, Representatives Spanberger and Graves, and all of our co-sponsors for their leadership on this critical bill.”

 

 

“Millions of American workers have spent their lives serving their communities and paying into Social Security with the promise of a dignified retirement, only to see their benefits stripped away by a cruel and unjust law. Finally, the U.S. Senate has the power to right the ship and do what the House did: pass a bipartisan and commonsense solution to restore basic fairness and end the WEP and GPO loophole for good. Let’s get this done.”

 

 

“Every day, Social Security Administration employees we represent talk with people impacted by the WEP and GPO and a significant number of our retired members are affected by these policies. We know the struggles American families face from losing access to the benefits they worked for and earned. The House passed this with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. It’s now time for the Senate to act and eliminate this unfair penalty.” 

 

 

“As leaders in both houses of Congress move to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest of the wealthy, they should consider helping the 2 million Americans who are being punished for working by having their Social Security benefits cut.  This issue presents senators and representatives with a fundamental question: Do you favor a system that rewards work and treats civil servants fairly?  Common sense says the answer is yes, and IFPTE urges Congress to heed that common sense and pass the Social Security Fairness Act.”

 

 

“I hope that the Senate hears our message loud and clear today. For 40 years, the trust fund has been balanced on the backs of our public servants. It is time for this injustice to end. The House has done their work and now the Senate must finish the job by holding an up or down vote on H.R. 82.”

 

 

“Educators dedicate their lives to public service, but when it is time to retire, far too many find that they have been stripped of the Social Security and retirement benefits they earned because of an unjust and morally wrong penalty. Not only do the WEP and GPO exclusively punish educators, firefighters, and police officers, but these laws discourage people from pursuing public service careers. Earlier this year, the House took a historic vote to repeal these punitive and discriminatory laws. It is time for the Senate to show that same courage by passing the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, which will finally help eliminate this unfair penalty on retirement benefits. Americans are demanding a change to these archaic and punitive laws because everyone should be able to retire with dignity and receive the benefits they earned through a lifetime of public service. On behalf of the 3 million members of the National Education Association, we urge the Senate to act now.”

 

 

“I worked for Columbus City Schools for over 40 years. I dedicated my career to helping improve the lives of children in my community — but when I retire, I am concerned I won’t have access to the full benefits I’ve earned to support myself and my loved ones. I financially support my daughter, who has multiple sclerosis and my grandson. Full access to Social Security would finally give me, and tens of thousands of AFSCME members, peace of mind that we could afford to retire and continue to help our families. For now, I will keep working and worrying about long-term finances until GPO-WEP is finally repealed.”