Collins, Brown Call on Senate Leadership to Put the Social Security Fairness Act on the Senate Floor for a Vote

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to immediately put Brown and Collins’ bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act on the Senate Floor for a vote. The legislation, which was introduced in March, would restore full Social Security benefits for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other public servants by repealing two provisions of current law – the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) – that unfairly reduce the Social Security benefits that public employees receive.

“Across the United States, millions of public servants find that their Social Security benefits are cut through no fault of their own.  Our Social Security Fairness Act now has a total of 62 bipartisan cosponsors, indicating it is strongly positioned to overcome a filibuster and move quickly.  For this reason, we urge you to put the Social Security Fairness Act (S. 597) on the Senate floor as soon as possible,” wrote Collins and Brown in their letter.

More than 28,000 Mainers, who dedicated their lives to public service, are prevented from receiving the full Social Security benefits they earn due to two laws from the 1970s and 1980s. The Windfall Elimination Provision, enacted in 1983, reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government for employment not covered by Social Security. The Government Pension Offset, enacted in 1977, reduces Social Security spousal benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers whose spouses receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government. The Social Security Fairness Act would repeal both of these laws, ensuring law enforcement, firefighters, teachers, park rangers, and other public sector workers and their families receive the full Social Security benefits they’ve earned.

In addition to Collins and Brown, the legislation has 62 Senators as bipartisan cosponsors.

The full letter can be read HERE.

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