[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SUPPORTING H.R. 82, THE SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS ACT OF 2023

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PRAMILA JAYAPAL

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2024

  Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, on November 12th the House of 
Representatives took an important step by passing H.R. 82 and 
eliminating two harmful provisions that unfairly deny workers, their 
spouses, and their children the Social Security benefits they deserve. 
These provisions--the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and 
Government Pension Offset (GPO) penalties--unfairly target Social 
Security benefits earned by public service workers, including teachers, 
police officers, firefighters, and hundreds of thousands of federal 
retirees.
  WEP unfairly penalizes retirees who have spent careers in public 
service but who have also paid into Social Security at some point. More 
than 6 million public employees are or would be affected by WEP and 
around 800,000 Americans would have benefits reduced or eliminated by 
the GPO. Social Security keeps millions of seniors, children, disabled 
individuals and their families out of poverty, which is why it is 
crucial that Congress act to remedy these penalties. That is why I 
voted for H.R. 82.
  That is also why I cosponsor Rep. John Larson's Social Security 2100 
Act, which would repeal WEP and GPO while providing the appropriate 
pay-for measures needed to strengthen and preserve Social Security. The 
Social Security 2100 Act would improve Social Security's Cost-of-Living 
Adjustment (COLA) so it reflects the inflation experienced by seniors, 
cuts taxes for middle-income beneficiaries among other important 
measures, and do so by ensuring millionaires and billionaires pay their 
fair share of Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes.
  Conversely, H.R. 82 would fully repeal WEP and GPO without a pay-for. 
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this would move up 
the date of insolvency for the combined Social Security Trust Funds. 
Given that the President-elect and House Republicans are unwilling to 
support commonsense solutions to strengthen Social Security, it is 
crucial that we work to prevent benefit cuts for Social Security 
recipients, especially our most vulnerable citizens.
  Congress must achieve the goals of protecting American federal 
workers while also preserving the crucial benefits that all Americans 
are entitled to through Social Security. H.R. 82 would cost the Social 
Security Trust Fund $200 billion over 10 years, and it is imperative 
that Congress act to fill in this gap.
  I urge the Senate to address H.R. 82's pay-for shortcomings as this 
bill moves forward.

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