Sign the Social Security Fairness Act Petition! PASS THIS ON TO CEA MEMBERS.

Our Association wants to repeal two anti-public employee Social Security provisions: Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

With record numbers of co-sponsors on both the House and Senate versions of a new bill called the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82/S. 206), it is time to push Congress to move this important legislation to a vote.

The bills will completely repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), little known but harmful amendments to the Social Security Act. These two provisions unjustifiably reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for public employees in states like ours where public employees are covered by a pension plan (PERA and Denver PSRS), but do not pay into Social Security.

These two provisions are not easy to explain or understand. Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduce or eliminate benefits that public employees or their spouses have earned and are expecting in retirement. They impact anyone who works in a public sector job and does not pay into Social Security for that job, but anticipates the Social Security benefits from another job they or their spouse held.

The GPO reduces public employees' Social Security spousal or survivor benefits by two-thirds of their public pension. The WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefits of an individual who also receives a public pension from a job not covered by Social Security.

These provisions are anti-public employee and we must get them repealed.

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-New York), House Ways and Means Committee Chair, has announced plans to hold a hearing on the bill, possibly this fall. To show this committee and all of Congress why they must repeal these two Social Security provisions, WE MUST SHOW THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE SUPPORT FROM COLORADO.

Make your voice heard today! It’s easy – simply sign NEA’s electronic petition below.A copy will immediately go to your Members of Congress, and NEA will compile a complete record of all signed petitions so we can show congressional leaders the overwhelming support and urgent need for this bill.

Sign NEA’s electronic petition now.

Need more information?
Get it at NEA.

Cosponsor Update
The House version of the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) has garnered the support of 324 bipartisan cosponsors. Colorado Reps. Diana DeGette, Mark Udall, John Salazar, and Marilyn Musgrave are co-sponsors of the bill. Reps. Doug Lamborn (CD 5), Tom Tancredo (CD 6), and Ed Perlmutter (CD 7) are not yet sponsors. The Senate bill (S. 206) has 35 cosponsors. Sen. Ken Salazar is a cosponsor, but Sen. Wayne Allard is not.

Complete lists of co-sponsors: House   Senate

Stay informed!
The latest GPO-WEP news is posted on NEA’s Legislative Action Center.

Share your stories about how GPO-WEP affect YOU!