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BumRushDaShow

(144,256 posts)
Sat Dec 7, 2024, 05:13 AM Dec 7

The Social Security Fairness Act has bipartisan support, but time is running out for Senate vote [View all]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: December 6, 2024 / 6:00 PM EST


The House-passed Social Security Fairness Act enjoys rare bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, yet the odds of it getting enacted are growing smaller with each passing day. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to schedule a vote on the bill that would expand Social Security benefits to roughly 2.8 million retirees. Schumer, a Democrat and cosponsor of the legislation, could invoke a Senate rule that would skip a committee hearing and send the bill directly to a floor vote by the full Senate.

The legislation would eliminate a provision that cuts Social Security payments to some retirees who also collect a pension from jobs not covered by the retirement program. That includes state and federal workers like teachers, police officers and U.S. postal workers. It would also end a second provision that reduces Social Security benefits for those workers' surviving spouses and family members.

"With just eight legislative days remaining in the 118th Congress, Sen. Schumer, a cosponsor of Senate bill S.597, must now step up and take action. It's time for him to follow through and bring it to the floor for a vote," Shannon Benton executive director of The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), told CBS MoneyWatch on Friday.

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) "penalize families across the country who worked a public service job for part of their career with a separate pension," Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy told colleagues earlier in the week. When those workers "have second jobs, second careers or get married, they receive less from Social Security than if they had never worked in public service at all. That's not right."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-security-fairness-act-senate-vote-chuck-schumer/

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Just like the bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill had moniss Dec 7 #1
Is it true that under this bill, someone who has never paid a dime into SS would be eligible as a spouse? MichMan Dec 7 #2
"Is it tue that under this bill, someone who has never paid a dime into SS would be eligible as a spouse?" BumRushDaShow Dec 7 #3
If it is already legal regardless of this bill, it shouldn't be MichMan Dec 7 #5
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Dec 7 #6
What? BumRushDaShow Dec 7 #7
Yeah...beat that FACT into the heads of Eloon and his pipsqueak sidekick Vivek.... Bengus81 Dec 7 #9
This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Dec 7 #10
No, a federal retiree cannot get SS on spouse's record if the Fed's own pension is higher wishstar Dec 7 #16
Federal employee's hired after Jan 1984 have been paying into the SS system since then.... Bengus81 Dec 7 #8
Yes - under "FERS" ( "Federal Employees Retirement System" that replaced "CSRS" - "Civil Service Retirement System" ) BumRushDaShow Dec 7 #11
That's Rebl2 Dec 7 #17
I hope it gets approved. A family member is a public school teacher with a public pension. Jacson6 Dec 7 #4
This message was self-deleted by its author HereForTheParty Dec 7 #14
Seems, maybe, the republicans are not the only ones dragging their feet on SS. republianmushroom Dec 7 #12
My wife and I both are affected by the WEP Joe Nation Dec 7 #13
Will our Congress critters benefit from this? HereForTheParty Dec 7 #15
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