Rep. Johnson Supports Restoration of Retirees Earnings

REP. JOHNSON SUPPORTS RESTORATION OF RETIREES EARNINGS

U.S. Rep. Timothy V. Johnson today renewed efforts to end offsets that reduce pensions for millions of government retirees.

"I am again sponsoring the Social Security Fairness Act that would redress longstanding inequities for government workers who are in effect penalized for their government service," Rep. Johnson said.

Rep. Johnson has co-sponsored HR 82, which is designed to amend Title II of the Social Security Act by repealing the government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions.

The GPO came into effect in 1977 and has since prohibited retired spouses, widows and widowers from collecting full Social Security benefits based on his or her spouse's employment. Nine of 10 public employees affected by the GPO lose their entire spousal benefit even though their spouse may have paid into Social Security for years.

Congress passed the WEP in 1983 and that provision directly reduces a retiree's Social Security benefits based on length of government service. The WEP causes some people to lose up to 60 percent of benefits they earned under Social Security.

"These provisions penalize thousands of people in my District - teachers, police officers, university workers, post office workers - the people who have dedicated their lives to public service," Rep. Johnson said. "I have been active in pursuit of this correction since taking office in 2001 and plan to continue that effort."

http://www.house.gov/list/speech/il15_johnson/pr_070125a.html