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House Passes H.R. 82 to Repeal WEP and GPO, Restoring Public Servants' Social Security Benefits

Nov 13, 2024, 12:16 AM

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, in a bipartisan vote. The legislation aims to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which have reduced or eliminated Social Security benefits for millions of public servants. By repealing these provisions, the bill would ensure that teachers, firefighters, police officers, postal workers, and federal employees receive the full retirement benefits they have earned. This could potentially increase benefits by over $350 per month for more than 2 million retirees. The bill, co-led by Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Garret Graves, now moves to the Senate for consideration. Lawmakers stressed that no American should be penalized for choosing a career in public service and emphasized the importance of protecting the retirement security of these workers.