WEP-GPO Repeal: The Argument(s) Continue to Unfold - US. Rep. Abigail Spanberger; Heartland Inst.; AMAC Foundation
Over the past few weeks, and especially in the week or so leading up to the November 12 House vote on H.R. 82 (the “Social Security Fairness Act”), we’ve seen a relatively steady stream of opinions about the merit of this legislative initiative. Most of the views have supported its intent to change how retirement benefits are determined for a small part of the Social Security beneficiary population, a move claimed to be “fair” and designed to correct the “glaring injustices of the WEP and the GPO.” These quotes are extracted from a post yesterday on U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger’s (D-VA-07) website containing a letter to Senate Leadership advocating the bill’s next step…a vote for its passage and its delivery to President Biden for approval.
Rep. Spanberger’s post outlines a portion of the history behind the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) rules written into Social Security law decades ago, along with commentary on the types of public service workers affected. Many labor organizations have weighed in to support the passage of H.R. 82, and a slate of public hearings has been held to formulate support. As in most legislation, there are opposing views, as evidenced by this dailycourier.com post by The Heartland Institute’s Brenton Smith yesterday.
The Importance of Understanding WEP and GPO
The AMAC Foundation, as part of its mission to provide relevant, impartial education to seniors on matters affecting their well-being, has contributed information intended to ensure clarity for those wishing to take a position on the issue of WEP-GPO fairness. Many legislative attempts have been made to repeal WEP and GPO, but no prior action has been taken. The rules are controversial, to be sure, and there are two sides to the argument. For this reason, the AMAC Foundation’s Social Security Advisory Service 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. As the webinar title suggests, the intent is simply to provide the background needed to take an informed stance on the matter.
Repeal WEP and GPO