Social Security, WEP-GPO, and Ticking Clocks - CBS News; AMAC Foundation
There seem to be many competing priorities these days when it comes to our Social Security system, from the relentless search for solutions for the program’s impending insolvency to the current push to repeal two controversial rules set in place long ago to preserve its original intent. Last week, the House of Representatives voted to fully repeal these two provocative measures—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Penson Offset (GPO)—setting a political play clock in motion in the U.S. Senate.
Despite the rare display of bipartisan support in the House–a 327 to 75 vote–final approval in the upper chamber is not guaranteed. As reported in a CBS News post by Kate Gibson, the next critical step is approval by the Senate, and that’s not a sure thing. Ms. Gibson offers a quote from The Senior Citizens League executive director Shannon Benton that puts the matter in calendar context: “The bill ‘dies December 31, at the end of the second session of Congress’.” In other words, failure to pass the legislation in the 118th Congress would wipe the slate clean and send repeal proponents back to the proverbial drawing board.
As Ms. Gibson’s post explains, the $190 billion price tag accompanying H.R. 82 appears to be the most significant obstacle to the bill’s next step. But there may also be other factors, since the overall WEP-GPO argument has been the victim of a general lack of understanding about its purpose and intent.
The Importance of Understanding WEP and GPO
Many legislative attempts have been made to repeal WEP and GPO through the years, but no prior action has been taken. The issue is controversial, to be sure, and there are two sides to the argument. For this reason, and in keeping with its mission of informing and educating America’s seniors, the AMAC Foundation has heavily researched the origin of these two troublesome provisions. This research concludes that the purpose behind their design is often not clearly understood, nor is the way the math works in support of Social Security’s original purpose. Earlier this year, the Foundation offered a publication (WEP and GPO: To Repeal or Not?) to help clarify the matter and conducted a public webinar presenting thoughts on the subject. A recording of the webinar can be viewed on the Foundation website here.