Budzinski Votes to Pass the Bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) voted to pass the Social Security Fairness Act – bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), two provisions of the Social Security Act that unfairly reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for millions of Americans who have devoted much of their careers to public service. Budzinski spoke on the House Floor to call for the bill’s passage. 

WATCH: Budzinski Pushes for Passage of Social Security Fairness Act on House Floor

“Right now, millions of Americans who have paid into Social Security are being cut short in their benefits,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “Police officers, firefighters and educators, working people who have devoted their professional lives to public service, are being unfairly punished by the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. The Social Security Fairness is a bipartisan bill to fix this – restoring benefits that our public servants have been paid into throughout their careers and ensuring that every American receives the Social Security benefits they’ve earned and deserve.” 

Currently, the WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefits of an individual who also receives a public pension from a job not covered by Social Security. For example, educators who do not earn Social Security in the public schools but who work part-time or during the summer in jobs covered by Social Security have reduced benefits, even though they pay into the system just like others. Likewise, the GPO affects the spousal benefits of people who work as federal, state, or local government employees — including educators, police officers and firefighters — if the job is not covered by Social Security. The GPO reduces by two-thirds the benefit received by surviving spouses who also collect a government pension. The Social Security Fairness Act would prevent benefits from being dramatically reduced by eliminating both of these provisions

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