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Legislative Updates

Legislative Update No. 78, Session 80
By Tim Lee, Executive DirectorPrinter Friendly ||| Print as PDF

January 17, 2008

Congressional Hearings Focus in on Social Security Issues

Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision Discussed

 

The House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee met on January 16, 2008 to discuss various bills on the repeal or modification of two Social Security offsets that impact thousands of retired education employees. Two Texas Congressional members, Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Congressman Kevin Brady both sponsor their own pieces of legislation dealing with this issue, and both Representative Doggett and Representative Brady argued their bill was better than their colleague’s.

The hearing began with Social Security Administration (SSA) staff discussing the background and rational for the implementation of the GPO and the WEP. The SSA officials provided expert testimony on the current condition of the Social Security fund and how the repeal or modification of the GPO and WEP may impact the Social Security fund’s solvency. SSA did testify that the cost of repealing the GPO and the WEP is estimated at $80 billion over ten years.

Congressman Lloyd Doggett, a chief co-sponsor of HR 82 (also known as the Social Security Fairness Act), said the only way to really solve this unjust problem of retired public educators and other public employees from being unfairly penalized by the GPO and the WEP is to completely repeal the two provisions. His legislation calls for the immediate repeal of the GPO and the WEP. TRTA strongly supports complete repeal of both these provisions.

Congressman Kevin Brady focused on his legislation, HR 2772, that modifies the formula used to calculate reductions caused by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Congressman Brady’s legislation does not impact the Government Pension Offset. Describing his bill as the more equitable approach to reform, Congressman Brady said his plan looks at what people pay into Social Security and more fairly calculates the person’s potential Social Security benefit upon retirement. Congressman Brady’s approach is not, though, complete repeal and would not be as beneficial to retired public employees as would Congressman Doggett’s HR 82.

Tim Lee, TRTA Executive Director, will be meeting with Texas Congressional members next month on two different trips to Washington. TRTA supports complete repeal and believes that these two provisions do unfairly target retired public education employees. TRTA members wishing to send emails to the Congressional members addressing this issue can do so by visiting www.house.gov and finding their Congressman’s web page.

The process to repeal or modify these two Social Security provisions is a slow one, but TRTA is vigorously pursuing this issue on your behalf. This recent House hearing and the Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing last November shows there is progress being made to move this issue forward. TRTA members' continued communication with their elected officials is having a positive impact in this process.

Please email your comments or questions on this issue to Tim Lee at tim@trta.org.

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