WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following last week’s overwhelming passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Social Security Fairness Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senator Angus King, a co-sponsor of the legislation, is urging Senate leadership to follow suit and bring the legislation up for a vote as swiftly as possible. The bill would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These two provisions, which were added to the Social Security Act in 1983, unfairly reduce or eliminate earned Social Security benefits for more than 2.5 million Americans who have devoted their careers to public service including police officers, firefighters, teachers, and federal, state, and local government employees.

Currently, the WEP cuts into the earned Social Security benefits of an individual who also receives a public pension. For example, public school educators who do not earn Social Security, but who work part-time, or during the summer, in jobs covered by Social Security have reduced benefits, effectively penalizing them for their public sector work. Likewise, the GPO affects the spousal benefits of people who work as federal, state, or local government employees — including police officers, firefighters, and teachers — if the job is not covered by Social Security. The GPO reduces by two-thirds the benefit received by surviving spouses who also collect a government pension — often offsetting benefits entirely.

“Our firefighters, police officers, teachers, and public servants are lifelines for all of us across Maine — protecting our towns, keeping us healthy, and teaching our children how to be good neighbors and stewards of society,” said Senator King. “These committed men and women have contributed to the public good, paid into the social security system, and are now without access to the benefits they are owed. I urge Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the entire Senate leadership to swiftly bring the bipartisan, bicameral Social Security Fairness Act to the floor for a vote. This is a chance to give back to our public champions, and their spouses, the benefits they have so rightly earned. I look forward to voting for the bill as soon as possible in support of all those in public service across Maine.”

According to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the WEP currently impacts more than 2.1 million Social Security beneficiaries, and the GPO impacts nearly 750,000 retirees. More than 300,000 American retirees are impacted by both the WEP and the GPO.

Senator King has long championed reforms to social security to keep the federal government’s promise to all working Americans. Most recently, he was part of a working group with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy to preserve and protect social security for generations to come as the program is set to go insolvent by 2033 without congressional action – resulting in across-the-board cuts to benefits for all recipients.

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