Last week, in a passionate opening statement at the first Capitol Hill hearing on the issue in 17 years, Rep. John Larson (D-CT) called the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) “blatantly unfair” and said, “We need not only a hearing—we need a vote.”
Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), inspired to enter pubic service by a high school teacher, called for a bipartisan solution and said it is “critical that we prioritize addressing this program.”
Together, GPO and WEP rob nearly 3 million dedicated public servants, including educators, of Social Security benefits they have earned.
The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82/S. 597), which would fully repeal GPO and WEP, has strong bipartisan support in both chambers—316 cosponsors in the House and 53 in the Senate.
Our next step is to push for a markup, and then a floor vote. Tell Congress what you think!
In solidarity,
Marc Egan
Government Relations Director
National Education Association
CHEER:Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Ashley Hinson (R-IA) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to create a National Liberty Memorial honoring African American Revolutionary War patriots.
CHEER:Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) asked a helpful question about the impact of GPO and WEP on teachers during the April 16 hearing on the issue.
