At the invitation of the White House, Senator Collins attended the signing of this bill she authored with Senator Sherrod Brown, which will ensure that millions of teachers, fire fighters, law enforcement officers, and other public servants or their spouses – including more than 25,000 Mainers – receive their earned Social Security benefits.
Washington, D.C. – Today, the President signed into law the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA), bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Senator Collins attended the bill signing ceremony at the invitation of the White House. The SSFA will restore Social Security benefits for millions of teachers, school cafeteria workers, custodians and other school employees, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, 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 or their spouses have earned. The bipartisan bill overwhelmingly passed the both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate by votes of 327-75 and 76-20, respectively.
With the signing of the SSFA today, both the WEP and GPO have been repealed, and those previously impacted by these provisions will see their earned benefit levels restored. Following the passage of the SSFA in both chambers of Congress, Senators Collins and Brown sent a letter to the Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Carolyn Colvin requesting that the SSA swiftly implement the Social Security Fairness Act following the President’s signing of the bill. Updates on the SSA’s implementation of the SSFA will continue to be released here.
Senator Collins held the first Senate hearing on this policy in 2003 as Chair of the Senate Government Affairs Committee. She, along with the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, first introduced the Social Security Fairness Act in 2005. Earlier this year, Senators Collins and Brown called on Senate leadership to immediately bring their legislation, which had 62 Senate cosponsors—above the margin needed for passage—to the Senate floor for a vote.
“In 2003, I held the first-ever Senate hearing on the WEP and the GPO, and I am pleased that with today’s signing of the Social Security Fairness Act, these unfair provisions in our Social Security system have finally been repealed,” said Senator Collins. “This is a victory for thousands of teachers, first responders, public servants, and the countless advocates who fought for years to correct this unfairness. For too long, the WEP and GPO have denied retirees and their spouses the Social Security benefits they earned through years of work and contributions to the system. This law ensures that public service will no longer come at the expense of one’s earned retirement benefits.”
“The repeal of GPO and WEP is a historic win for public employees, including thousands of retired educators in Maine. We know that these unfair provisions make it more difficult to recruit and retain educators. This is a historic victory for educators, public employees, and their families. We are thankful for the bipartisan effort of our Senator from Maine, Susan Collins (R-Maine), who coauthored this bill with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and has been working on bringing justice to retired public service workers for over two decades,” said Jesse Hargrove, President of the Maine Education Association
“Repealing these two unfair provisions will restore Social Security benefits for teachers and educational leaders throughout our state, while also helping to make it easier to recruit and retain educators for Maine’s schools. The Maine Principals’ Association thanks Senator Collins for championing this important bipartisan bill and her steadfast commitment to fixing this issue for public servants in Maine and across the country,” said Dr. Holly Blair, Executive Director of the Maine Principals’ Association.
“The recent passage of the Social Security Fairness Act marks a significant victory for Maine Career & Technical Educators and other public sector workers across the state. This landmark legislation, authored by Maine's own Senator Susan Collins, repeals two long-standing provisions that have unfairly reduced Social Security benefits for many dedicated public servants. Career & Technical Educators, who are often recruited after working years in the private sector, will no longer be penalized by these provisions. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Senator Collins for her unwavering commitment to this cause,” said Dave Keaton, Executive Director, Maine Administrators of Career & Technical Education.
“The Maine Chiefs of Police Association thanks Senator Collins for her leadership on the Social Security Fairness Act. This critical legislation will allow police officers and their families to receive the Social Security benefits they’ve earned through years of public service. Our organization appreciates the Senator’s continued commitment to those who have dedicated their lives to protecting and serving Maine communities,” said Jason D. Moen, Chief of the Auburn Police Department and President of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association.
“The Social Security Fairness Act will provide our members and their families the full benefit of Social Security, helping to make a major difference in their quality of life. We want to thank Senator Collins for her dedication in getting this across the finish line. She has always been a leader and great advocate for those of us in public safety,” said Mike Scott, President of the Professional Firefighters of Maine.
“Maine Fire Chiefs Association would like to thank Senator Collins and all those involved in moving the Social Security Fairness Act forward. This bill will remove the pension offset that Social Security currently has in place. Frequently, this offset is not discovered or readily disclosed until retirement planning is initiated, in some cases even delaying retirement. The Social Security Fairness Act will rectify this unjustified penalty and allow public employees to receive the Social Security Pension from the system they have paid into and earned. On behalf of The Maine Fire Chiefs Association's members and all those impacted, we applaud and thank Senator Collins for her efforts,” said William St. Michel, Executive Director of the Maine Fire Chiefs' Association.
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.
###