The push to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) gained momentum at a Nov. 20 field hearing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, convened by the House Ways and Means Committee.
Witnesses who testified at the hearing—the first in many years—included octogenarian Paula Porter, a teacher for 38 years whose husband died at age 61 from cancer. Because of GPO, she received no Social Security survivors’ benefits and had to take part-time, after-school jobs to support their five children.
“I still live a simple life—I don’t travel, I don’t go to movies. You lead a very, very simple life,” Porter said.
Together, GPO and WEP deprive more than 2.7 million educators and other dedicated public servants of Social Security benefits they have earned. NEA strongly supports legislation like the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (S. 597/H.R. 82), which would fully repeal both the GPO and WEP.
In a statement released after the hearing, lead sponsors Reps. Garret Graves (R-LA) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) noted that H.R. 82 “has broad bipartisan support among 300 lawmakers in the U.S. House—far more than the majority necessary for the bill to pass.” They urged the committee to send the bill to the floor for a vote.
NEA comments submitted for the hearing record included several personal stories. You can add yours, but must act fast—by the close of business on Monday, Dec. 4. Click for information on how to format submissions and where to send them.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the GOP’s razor-thin margin in the House shrank to four votes with the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-NY)—the first House lawmaker to be expelled in 20 years.
In solidarity,
Marc Egan
Government Relations Director
National Education Association
