12/21/2024
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Plesha (206.302.8317)
December 21, 2024
Murkowski Celebrates Long-Overdue Passage of Social Security Fairness Act
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced that the Senate passed H.R. 82 The Social Security Fairness Act tonight in a bipartisan vote of 76-20. This legislation repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which have reduced the amount of Social Security benefits accessible to select federal, state, local employees, and to their spouses and survivors. Senator Murkowski has been a longstanding supporter of the Social Security Fairness Act since her arrival to the Senate, co-sponsoring the legislation every year since 2003. H.R. 82 is the companion bill to S. 597, introduced in the Senate. The bill will now go to the President for his signature.
“I have been working on the Social Security Fairness Act for as long as I’ve been representing Alaska in the United States Senate,” Senator Murkowski said. “There is no doubt that Congress has taken too long to address this inequity, but I am grateful to the diligent bipartisan work of my colleagues to help us finally get this over the finish line. This legislation takes care of Alaskans who have dedicated years of service to our communities, serving in integral roles such as teachers, firefighters, and police officers. Hardworking public servants should not be denied the benefits that they paid for because of their career choices, and I’m relieved that this longstanding injustice has been remedied.”
"The Alaska AFL-CIO and all of its affiliated unions are elated with the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. The GPO/ WEP provisions have existed for far too long impacting the lives of thousands of Alaska workers and their heirs,” said Joelle Hall, President of Alaska AFL-CIO. “Punishing public employees and their heirs for dedicating their lives to their community is wrong and we want to thank Senator Murkowski for her long-standing support for fixing this policy that has hurt so many families."
“Today’s vote is incredibly welcome news to thousands of Alaska’s current and former public employees who have been unfairly punished simply for their public service,” said Heidi Drygas, Executive Director of ASEA/AFSCME Local 52. “We thank Senator Murkowski for her leadership on this critically important issue for our membership. So many Alaska families will breathe easier tonight knowing they will receive the full retirement that they deserve. Thank you to the thousands of AFSCME employees and retirees for their decades of persistent advocacy on this issue.”
“Alaska’s law enforcement personnel have worked too hard and put too much on the line in service of our communities to not receive their fully deserved Social Security benefits,” said President Shaun Kuzakin, Public Safety Employees Association, Local 803. “I’m relieved that this long-standing injustice has been corrected and grateful to Senator Murkowski for her support for Alaska’s public safety employees.”
“Alaska's firefighters applaud Senator Murkowski for standing up for public workers across Alaska,” said Dominic Lozano, President of Alaska Professional Fire Fighters. “For too long the federal government has been withholding portions of our social security benefits unfairly. Senator Murkowski understands the importance of this legislation and has been advocating for Alaskans since she started in the Senate. Retirees throughout Alaska know the importance of this legislation as well as future generations of Alaskans who will now receive their full social security benefit.”
“Passage of H.R. 82 is historic and will immediately make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of former military members, public servants and educators. We’re grateful that Senator Murkowski has been fighting alongside Alaska’s educators on this issue for her entire career in the US Senate,” said Kathy Simpler, Director of the National Education Association-Alaska.
“More than 17,000 former public servants in Alaska, and over 2.8 million nationally, are unfairly penalized by WEP and GPO. With this Senate vote, backed by Senator Murkowski, we will finally receive the full benefits we earned through our hard work. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) will be forever grateful for Senator Murkowski’s leadership in the effort to repeal WEP and GPO, which NARFE has been advocating for 40 years,” said Paul McIntosh, President of the National Active and Retired Employees Association.
Background:
The WEP, enacted in 1983, reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government for employment not covered by Social Security. The GPO, enacted in 1977, reduces Social Security spousal benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers whose spouses receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government. Together, these provisions reduce Social Security benefits for nearly 3 million Americans – including those who worked teachers, state employees, and public safety officers. Alaska is one of the most disproportionately and negatively affected states per capita by the WEP and GPO.
The Social Security Fairness Act has been endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Alaska (AFL-CIO Alaska), Alaska Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA), Alaska Professional Fighters Association (APFA), National Education Association – Alaska (NEA-A), National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association Alaska (NARFE Alaska), Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Strengthen Medicare (NCPSSM), Social Security Works, Strengthen Social Security Coalition, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), International Union of Police Association (IUPA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Education Association (NEA), and the Senior Citizens League.
Below is a timeline of previous iterations of the legislation that Senator Murkowski has co-sponsored.
Timeline:
March 2023: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 597 the Social Security Fairness Act in the 118th Congress.
April 2021: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 1302 Social Security Fairness Act in the 117th Congress.
February 2019: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 521 Social Security Fairness Act of 2019 in the 116th Congress.
April 2017: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 915 Social Security Fairness Act of 2017 in the 115th Congress.
June 2015: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 1651 Social Security Fairness Act of 2015 in the 114th Congress.
May 2013: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 896 Social Security Fairness Act of 2013 in the 113th Congress.
December 2011: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 2010 Social Security Fairness Act of 2011 in the 112th Congress.
February 2009: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 484 Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 in the 111th Congress.
January 2007: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 206 Social Security Fairness Act of 2007 in the 110th Congress.
March 2005: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S.619 Social Security Fairness Act of 2005 in the 109th Congress.
February 2003: Senator Murkowski co-sponsors S. 349 The Social Security Fairness Act of 2003 in the 108th Congress.
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Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
