The U.S. Senate is set to vote next week on a bill that could increase Social Security benefits for millions of Americans. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced he will bring the Social Security Fairness Act to a vote before the end of the year. The act aims to eliminate two federal policies that reduce payments to certain Social Security recipients.
These are the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). They affect about 2.8 million people who receive pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security or surviving spouses receiving government pensions. Schumer briefly addressed a rally at the Capitol in support of the bill.
“I am here to tell you, we are going to call the vote,” he told the crowd. He said all Democratic senators would vote yes but emphasized the need for 15 Republican senators to also support it for the bill to pass.
Senate to address Social Security cuts
Many public sector retirees argue the current provisions are unfair. They say they are entitled to full Social Security benefits since they also worked private sector jobs where Social Security taxes were deducted from their paychecks. “I am not receiving the amount I earned from paying into Social Security,” said Barbara Mahaffey, a retired worker from Ohio.
“I am not double-dipping.”
However, some have concerns about the bill’s financial impact on Social Security. The bipartisan nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget warned that repealing WEP and GPO could hasten the depletion of the Social Security Trust Fund. The Associated Press estimates the bill could add about $195 billion to federal deficits over the next ten years.
Despite these concerns, many public workers remain hopeful the Senate will act to address what they see as longstanding inequities. They are urging people to contact their senators to voice support for the bill. The upcoming vote represents a historic opportunity to ensure fair retirement benefits for educators and public servants affected by WEP and GPO.
