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[Page S3100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS
The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:
POM-204. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Senate of
the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress to
take such actions as are necessary to review the Government
Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision Social
Security benefit reductions and to consider eliminating or
reducing them by supporting H.R. 141 and S. 521 of the 116th
Congress, the Social Security Fairness Act; to the Committee
on Finance.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 34
Whereas, the Congress of the United States of America has
enacted both the Government Pension Offset (GPO), reducing
the spousal and survivor Social Security benefit, and the
Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), reducing the earned
Social Security benefit, payable to any person who also
receives a public pension benefit earned in public employment
not covered by Social Security; and
Whereas, the GPO can negatively affect a retired public
employee receiving a federal, state, or local government
retirement or pension benefit earned in employment not
covered by Social Security who would also be entitled to a
Social Security benefit earned by the retiree's spouse; and
Whereas, the GPO formula reduces the spousal or survivor
Social Security benefit by two-thirds of the amount of the
federal, state, or local government retirement or pension
benefit received by the retired public employee, in many
cases completely eliminating the Social Security benefit even
though the retiree's spouse paid Social Security taxes
throughout the marriage; and
Whereas, according to the Congressional Research Service,
nearly seven hundred thousand people were affected by the GPO
in December 2018, including more than thirty-seven thousand
Louisianians; and
Whereas, the WEP applies to those persons who have earned
federal, state, or local government retirement or pension
benefits in public employment not covered by Social Security,
in addition to paying social security taxes while working in
employment covered by Social Security; and
Whereas, the WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefit
using an averaged indexed monthly earnings formula and may
reduce Social Security benefits for affected persons by as
much as one-half of the retirement benefit earned as a public
servant in employment not covered by Social Security; and
Whereas, the WEP causes hardworking individuals to lose a
significant portion of the Social Security benefits that they
earned themselves; and
Whereas, according to the Congressional Research Service,
nearly two million people, or about three percent of all
Social Security beneficiaries were affected by the WEP in
December 2019; and
Whereas, in certain circumstances both the WEP and the GPO
can be applied to a qualifying survivor's benefit, each
independently reducing the available benefit and, in
combination, eliminating a large portion of the total Social
Security benefit available to the survivor; and
Whereas, because of the calculation characteristics of the
WEP and the GPO, they have a disproportionately negative
effect on employees working in lower-wage government jobs,
like teachers, school workers, and state employees; and
Whereas, the number of people affected by the WEP and the
GPO is growing as nearly ten thousand baby boomers attain
retirement age each day; and
Whereas, individuals drastically affected by the WEP and
the GPO may have no choice but to return to work after
retirement in order to make ends meet, but the earnings
accumulated during reemployment in the public sector may
further reduce the Social Security benefits the individual is
entitled to; and
Whereas, the global pandemic, the current financial market
volatility, medical advances increasing longevity, and the
escalating cost of health care further contribute to the
expenses that those of social security age must bear; and
Whereas, the WEP and the GPO are established in federal
law, and repeal or reduction of the WEP and the GPO can be
enacted only by Congress. Therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions
as are necessary to review the Government Pension Offset and
the Windfall Elimination Provision Social Security benefit
reductions and to consider eliminating or reducing them by
supporting H.R. 141 and S. 521 of the 116th Congress, the
Social Security Fairness Act; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution shall be
transmitted to the secretary of the United States Senate and
the clerk of the United States House of Representatives and
to each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United
States Congress.
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