House Overwhelmingly Passes Senator Collins’ Social Security Fairness Act
Her Bipartisan Bill with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Would Ensure Firefighters, Law Enforcement Officers, and Other Public Servants – Including more than 25,000 Mainers – Receive Their Full Social Security Benefits.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) applauded the passage of their Social Security Fairness Act by the U.S. House of Representatives and urged the Senate to do the same. This bipartisan bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House this week by a vote of 327-75, 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. The legislation now awaits consideration by the Senate.
Earlier this year, Senators Collins and Brown called on Senate leadership to immediately bring their legislation to the Senate floor for a vote.
“Across the United States, millions of public servants find that their Social Security benefits are cut through no fault of their own,” Senator Collins said. “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 Senator Schumer to put the Social Security Fairness Act on the Senate floor as soon as possible.”
“Social Security is a bedrock of our middle class. It’s retirement security that Americans pay into and earn over a lifetime of work – and count on to be there for them when they retire,” said Senator Brown. “Social Security should be available to everyone, including local police officers, sheriffs, deputies, firefighters, teachers – and their families. The House overwhelmingly passed our bill and it’s time for the Senate to do the same.”
More than 25,000 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.
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