Millions of Americans Are Getting Big Social Security Updates—Tap to Learn More

The Social Security Fairness Act may yet pass the Senate before the end of the year. The bill passed the House of Representatives without much opposition and is a bipartisan effort to repeal two clauses that reduce Social Security benefits for millions of Americans.

The bill seeks to eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), a formula used to adjust Social Security worker benefits for people who receive “non-covered pensions” and qualify for Social Security benefits based on other Social Security-covered earnings, as well as the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which gets used Social Security spousal or widow(er) helps for people who receive “non-covered pensions.”

After passing, the House must be passed by the Senate before being presented to President Biden and signed into law. If this process is completed, over 2.8 million people will receive the benefits they have contributed. Although the bill has several Senate sponsors, it must be supported by at least 60 senators to pass Congress.

It shouldn’t pose an issue because it garnered 62 cosponsors last year, but items can change. Now that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is beginning the process to pass the bill, the time has come to “ensure Americans are not erroneously denied their well-earned Social Security benefits simply because they chose at some point in their careers to work in public service.” Schumer explained.

But the tide has shifted since last year. GOP Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, who signed on to identical legislation last year, was less forthcoming with his support for this current incarnation of the bill, saying he was still “weighing” whether to vote for it next week. He justified his shift in perspective by saying, “Nothing ever gets paid for, so if it’s more debt, I don’t know.” He is, of course, referring to the fact that the measure would necessitate additional funding for payments, which would have to come from the Social Security Trust funds, which are already overstretched. 

Will the Social Security Fairness Act pass the Senate?

As is customary, many conservative party members have vehemently opposed the bill, citing cost, such as Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, who says, “Even for something that people consider to be a good cause, it shows a lack of concern for the future of the country, so I think it would be a big mistake.”

Others are less tenacious in their criticism, such as Sen. John Thune, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, who noted that the program had overwhelming bipartisan support but added that some Republicans want to see it “fixed in the context of a broader Social Security reform effort.”