Bipartisan Social Security bill H.R. 82 killed in election night shenanigans
Date Posted: 11/06/2024 | Author: Heather Sheffield
On Election Night, while the world was watching the results come in, members of the aggressively contrarian House Freedom Caucus executed an unusual maneuver on the U.S. House floor, stalling a widely supported Social Security bill that was expected to come up for a vote as soon as next week after congressional recess.
U.S. Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Garret Graves (R-LA) had gathered the necessary 218 signatures for a discharge petition to bypass the House Committee hearing and bring their bill, ATPE-supported House Resolution (H.R.) 82, to the floor. This bipartisan bill—co-sponsored by 330 of the 435 members of the U.S. House, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)—aimed to repeal two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for certain retirees, such as teachers in Texas and other states. Specifically, H.R. 82 sought to fully repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), both of which lower Social Security benefits for those who worked at least part of their careers in jobs where they paid into a government pension, such as the Texas Teacher Retirement System (TRS), in lieu of paying into Social Security.
During a brief seven-minute House floor meeting, otherwise known as a “pro forma session,” on Election Night, Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) recognized the former Freedom Caucus Chair, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), who made a unanimous consent request to “lay the bill on the table”—i.e., to remove it from consideration without a direct vote on the bill. Because no one else was there to object, the motion passed by unanimous consent, effectively killing H.R. 82 under House rules.
Congressional leadership has since indicated they plan to undo Good’s motion and bring the bill back to the floor for a vote next week. However, even if a bipartisan version of the bill were to pass the House, it would most likely not pass in the Senate due to its significant cost and the limited time left in this congressional session for the House and Senate to reach a compromise. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would cost $196 billion over the next 10 years and would move up the date of the Social Security trust fund’s insolvency by six months.
No matter what happens with this bill, Congress is going to have to intervene and enact Social Security reform sometime before 2034. The National Association of Police Organizations, which has been lobbying for the measure, said its cost represents money “taken out of the hard-earned monthly Social Security checks of retired law enforcement officers, teachers, nurses, and bus drivers over the next 10 years.”
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I am a retired federal employee where I paid 7% into the CSRS retirement fund and I also served in the Military Reserves for ten years and fully paid into SS. But because of WEP, I lose roughly 1/3 of my earned SS. Yet politicians characterize that I am some how I would be getting a bigger SS check than I am entitled.
I totally agree with all of the posts. I was employed by federal government for 32 years and worked many jobs covered by Social security. I get my CSA benefits, but nothing from my own SS or widows pensions from my 2 deceased husbands.
I worked many years in the private sector paying into SS and then over 20 in a school system. My ss has been cut 40% because of my state pension due to the WEP. Just so unfair. Some states have done away with this. MA you need to get with it.
Please Pass H.R. 82 we fully deserve this
It now is up to Donald Trump to help the Middle-Class teachers, Police officers and retired workers call his leadership team currently in Congress and the Senate to get this bill repealed this week. He said he would help the middle class. This is his start,
HR82 being dismissed in such an underhanded way is criminal. I along with millions of other men and women devoted their lives to teaching. I worked side jobs to make ends meet and myself as well as many others in fields outside of teaching are being punished for it!! Legislators need to ask themselves one question! “Would they be where they are today without a teacher in their life?” I think they all know the answer to that question. Maybe the solution is for all teachers across the nation to go on strike and maybe that would be a wake up call. When their children and grandchildren can’t attend school because there’s no staff the legislators may have to do some home schooling. Just very very sad for not just teachers but law enforcement officials, etc. who are all being punished as well.
I'm a 27 veteran teacher and am hoping to make it to 30 before retiring. Teaching is a 2nd career for me. I was a long-haul trucker for over 20 years and have paid into SS from 1970-1998. ALL of my quarters are in and I'm now drawing full SS along with my full teacher salary. SS informed me that when I retire and began collecting TRS, my SS will be cut substantially. That's when you need it the most-how unfair! I will be contacting Lance Gooden and Ted Cruz. This windfall has got to be undone, stopped.
Please note that HR82 does not add expense to Social Security. It forces Social Security to pay full benefits equally to everyone who has earned full benefits. The current WEP and GPO provisions discriminate against certain retired government workers by withholding some of their benefits while other beneficiaries are allowed to collect their full benefits.
This is so sad for individuals like myself who gave the civil service 40 years of my life. I married a retired US Army Sergeant Major who also payed social security when he enlisted. I lost him in 2016, and did not receive all of my/his social security. The WEP has affected so many of us. When I heard that HR 82 was dismissed in such a short timeframe on election night I was so saddened and hurt! Especially with all the cosponsors for the bill. I truly believe President Trump would have signed this bill, just as he did with the abolishment of the “Widow’s Tax”. This resulted in 55,000 survivors receiving their “full” survivors benefits! The elimination of HR 82 just saddens me, as well as my “offset-affected family and friends”! It makes me really worry about the remaining years I have left in such an ever changing and unsure future!
Politicians need to put on their big boy pants and do their job. As a retired teacher I worked 2-3 jobs outside of education so I could make enough money to raise 2 children as a single parent. I paid into social security of years and i am entitled to my benefits. This needs to change.
SS Trust Fund has unfairly penalized public service workers for over 40 years, embezzlement of our earned funds. It is estimated than in the 40 years close to 700 billion dollars has been collected from these unjust penalties. The weak argument of cost is wrong , the annual penalties collected is close to the annual amount of repeal.