YOU PAID INTO IT, YOU EARNED IT! Repeal the WEP and GPO once and for all!

[CharlesU659303]

H.R. 82 the Social Security Fairness Act of 2021 has 298 cosponsors now and enough to pass the floor of the House of Representatives.  We have 42 United States Senators as Cosponsors for the Senate version, S.1302.  It has been many years and a hard fight, but we are coming down to the home stretch in the House.  Please call your congressional member to ask him/her to add their name if they haven't already.  To find your representative, just go to U.S. House of Representatives (house.gov) site from google. Then click the tab that says REPRESENTATIVES and then look below to click on the letter of your state or the other tab for the Representative's last name.  I prefer the state because I like to call other states because, in a way, ALL federally elected officials vote for or against bills that end up directly affecting ALL of us.  So, by extension, they are all our representatives, and you just might have family in the state of the representative who has not added his/her name.   It's time for action regarding the WEP and GPO, because it is a major injustice that hurts the elderly in their twilight years.  After all, How many more years do we have to live after our FRA of 66 or maximum age of 70 if we delay... or even 62 if we take it early? Here are just some reasons for repeal of the WEP and GPO:

1. 5 - 3 million+ Americans affected, and 5 million by extension
2. It HELPS AMERICANS who've earned and paid into Social Security.
3. It rights a wrong and pays a debt owed to millions and for others who have already died and were denied their full social security it morally apologizes for the injustice of a wrong done decades ago.  We EARNED our KEEP!  
4. It is NON-PARTISAN (and Bipartisan)
5. Currently 298 members have added their names as cosponsors.
6. Millions of seniors, and thousands in your district have family.
7. You will be thanked and rewarded for doing the right thing.
8. It supports marriage, and rewards spouses for enduring beyond 10 years, (GPO). (all states)
9. The votes are there but adding your representative's name will expedite its passage.
10. The fact that a Rep. adds his or her name makes him or her aware and sensitive of the need and will stand him or her in good stead before, during and after political life.

These are only suggestions (1 – 10).  Practice your script beforehand.  Add new positive reasons to vote for this wonderful bill and ask the staff member to review or tell you WHAT the bill is (82) before you hang up or leave the office, as a representative can be made to look good or bad by his/her staff that filters the calls and information to that representative.  Thank them for taking your call and listening to them and remind them that you will be going to the congress.gov site to check regularly to see when that elected representative adds his or her name and that they might get another call back to thank them.  Thanks for reading this and now it's time for us to roll our sleeves up and fight for it!

[gw3544]

Thank you for this post... It's hard to find AARP officially supporting H.R. 82, and seemingly the rest of us are dependent on individuals like "Charles" to help spread the word about the Social Security Fairness Act.  Interestingly, although many Republicans support the legislation, the more conservative or extreme members of that party seem to be the most adamant holdouts, e.g., the entire Republican federal contingent elected from Colorado have failed to sign on to H.R. 82.  Although Bobert, Buck, and Lamborn are unlikely to change their positions, it is still important to contact their offices (and vote them out next year if they fail to support pensioners). Thanks again Charles - Geo.

[GailL1]

Just saying - do you know why the WEP and GPO is there in the 1st place?  

There was some bipartisan recommendations to rework the formula by Congressman Richard Neal (D - MA) and Kevin Brady (R-TX) a few years ago but the proposals never left the hanger, so to speak. 

I think that might be the only way this will go - a reform of the WEP / GPO formula because there will always be a reduction.  

This does an excellent job of explaining it. 

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - 09/19/2022 - Repealing Social Security’s WEP and GPO Rules ...

[gw3544]

The history of WEP and GPO go back to 1983, under the Reagan administration (and yes, Democrat Tip O'Neil was the House Speaker, and Biden and Ted Kenedy also supported the changes), as a bipartisan effort to increase Social Security trust fund solvency. However, by 1983 many of us who are now adversely impacted by WEP &/or GPO had already started working in FUTA payroll taxed jobs or exempt (non Social Security covered) employment or both... and therefore, WEP & GPO seem like EX POST FACTO laws. Hence, The Social Security Fairness Act, might more accurately be called the Social Security Fair and Legal Act.