Bill Would Repeal Social Security Provisions

As reported in a variety of TCCTA communications over the last several years, employees of Texas community colleges planning to retire from schools that do not participate in the Social Security system are potentially affected by two provisions of federal law, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).

For those unfamiliar with this complicated issue, please consult the valuable information provided by the Social Security Administration about the GPO and WEP. Here is a good introductory site.

More precise information on the GPO, which potentially reduces or eliminates spousal benefits, and a background on the WEP, which can reduce benefits for those who are otherwise qualified for Social Security (due to previous or supplemental employment) are also available through the Social Security Administration. To learn about the GPO, visit this site. A discussion of the WEP is available here. It is very difficult to make general statements about these two provisions, since the effects depend upon individual work history.

Nationwide efforts continue for outright repeal of GPO and WEP. Success may be complicated, according to reports, by the projected budget deficit. In addition, these two provisions apply only in 15 "non-mandatory" states in which school and college districts have chosen (in most cases many years ago) not to participate in Social Security. In other words, elected officials from 35 states may not view the inevitable cost of changing the system as crucial. However, all states contain retired or potentially retired residents who are concerned, and their voices are being heard. 

U.S. Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA) and Buck McKeon (R-CA) have reintroduced the Social Security Fairness Act to repeal both the GPO and WEP. The 2009 bill number is HR 235.  An earlier version, which had over 300 co-sponsors, expired at the end of the last Congress. In previous sessions it has proven very difficult for repeal bills to escape the House committee system, notwithstanding an impressive number of co-sponsors. Some observers are newly optimistic, however, because of the shift in Washington leadership since the 2008 elections. 

Most national groups favoring repeal are urging citizens to ask their representatives in Congress to co-sponsor HR 235. Here is the text of the bill. According to a variety of sources, additional measures addressing the WEP and GPO problem will be introduced in the House this year. Complete repeal would have a greater budgetary impact than more modest proposals advanced by some members of Congress. Meanwhile the clock is ticking on the huge cohort of Baby Boomers who will retire and apply for Social Security during the next few years.

Supporters of reform are concerned that, given the current financial crisis, Congress may be unwilling to commit large amounts of prospective revenue, at a time when current stimulus funds are designed to produce rapid results. Many believe that substantive changes to the GPO and WEP are unlikely until federal policy makers address the entire policy universe of Social Security and "entitlement" reform. This is an old refrain, of course. 

To find out "Who Represents Me?" visit this link. The members of the U.S. House from Texas can be accessed from this site. For access to the U.S. Senators from Texas (Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison), visit this site. These "official" sites provide opportunities for comment from constituents.

Members are urged to be on the alert for further posts on this subject.

Comments

[Joeb]

It's now 2011 - and the WEP & GPO repeal bills go absolutely nowhere, as usual.

For the last 25 years, the United States government has been cheating millions of Social Security recipients out of up to 60% of their EARNED benefits due to the unfair WEP and GPO laws. If a person has paid into two separate retirement systems, that person should receive the full benefits of each. The Reagan administration changed the rules after people had been paying into Social Security for decades. How fair is that?

If you have a private retirement system or a 401K, do you honestly believe that your Social Security benefits should be reduced by up to 60% and you be falsely accused of "double dipping"– especially after the Social Security system has been accepting your Earned Contributions for decades? Are we now going to be means tested, and if our government deems we have worked and earned “too much” during the course of our lives, than have our Earned Social Security Benefits reduced or completely eliminated? And how can you trust a government that changes the rules you’ve fairly played by just before you’re ready to retire?

Our government's Social Security rules changes mid-stream have thrown many of our senior citizens into poverty. The average Social Security payment is around $1,100 per month but tens of thousands of retirees effected by Reagan's WEP & GPO laws earn far less than even $1000 per month because their EARNED benefits were unfairly reduced. Try living on that pittance in your "golden years."

Bills to repeal the WEP & GPO laws are never even voted on by our cowardly congress. That's because whenever a bill to repeal these unfair laws they are tied up in committee and never see the light of day. In other words, our congress plays games while seniors are forced into poverty by the hidden taxes known as WEP and GPO.

Our congress people are now whining that they can't live on their $174,000 per year salaries, yet they have no trouble sleeping at nights when America's senior citizens can't buy food or medicine due to our nation's corrupt Social Security laws. We can’t afford to pay seniors the benefits that they actually EARNED but we can afford to give away billions to foreign banks and squander over FOUR TRILLION DOLLARS in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Let's look at the real causes of our nation's debt and quit blaming the Social Security system for our out of control military spending, bank bailouts and foreign aid.

Vote the rats out and only support those candidates who will work to repeal WEP & GPO.

[HFN]

All who are affected by GPO and WEP should get this out in the open by writing letters to your local newspaper(s)and quit expecting our senators and representatives to do anything about this. GET THIS ON THE FRONT BURNER FOR THE ELECTION YEAR. Get all the publicity you can as quick as you can! Don't pass up an opportunity to ask political candidates where they stand on the issue and why don't they do something about it other than play political games to fool the people back home. Ask that the six billion per year the CBO says it would cost be deducted from our annual foreign aid bill.