IFPTE Urges House to Consider and Pass Social Security Fairness Act
After the House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Social Security Fairness Act of 2021 (H.R. 82), IFPTE executive officers sent to House lawmakers a letter urging them to request that House leadership schedule a floor vote to pass the legislation.
The bipartisan bill, which is jointly sponsored by Representatives Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), aims end the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which would reverse cuts to the earned Social Security benefits of nearly two million public sector workers or their surviving spouses and dependents. The bill would also allow current and future public servants to receive benefits they’ve earned.
In the letter, IFPTE informs lawmakers that, “Allowing the WEP and GPO to continue is doing a disservice to current and future retirees who have given decades of their professional lives to serving the public.” The Social Security Fairness Act has the support of IFPTE, labor unions, and retirees who worked in federal state and local government.
IFPTE’s letter includes the union’s support for including progressive revenue raising measures so that the Social Security Trust Funds’ balances are not reduced due the elimination of WEP and GPO.
IFPTE has also signed on to the Federal-Postal Coalition letter that was sent to the Ways and Means Committee last week ahead of the committee’s consideration of the bill.