In a landmark move, the Senate voted 76-20 early Saturday to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, which will repeal two long-standing provisions that have reduced Social Security benefits for public sector workers and their spouses. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law.
The legislation eliminates the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), statutes enacted in 1983 and 1977, respectively, that have impacted workers like teachers, firefighters, and police officers, as well as their families. The change will boost benefits for more than 2 million Americans, including 70,000 in Louisiana and 20,000 in Maine.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the bill's lead sponsor, celebrated the passage as a victory against “horrendous inequity,” citing examples of workers in her state who were unfairly penalized despite long careers in public service. Her Democratic counterpart, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), highlighted the relief the bill will bring to essential workers like bus drivers and cafeteria staff, sharing the story of a bus driver whose benefits would rise significantly under the new law.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will add $196 billion to the federal deficit over the next decade and accelerate Social Security’s insolvency by six months. A proposed amendment by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to offset costs by gradually raising the retirement age from 67 to 70 was defeated.
Fiscal conservatives, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), opposed the repeal, warning it could create unfair burdens on Social Security contributors who are not part of public pensions.
Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, hailed the bill’s passage, calling it a long-overdue correction to a broken system.
