A last-minute, last-ditch push by public servants is underway this week to convince the U.S. Senate to vote on a bill that would repeal the Social Security penalty on government retirees like teachers, police and their spouses with less than two weeks left to pass it.
Public servants from across the country have planned a rally Wednesday at Upper Senate Park at the U.S. Capitol to lobby senators.
The 1980s-era Windfall Elimination Penalty and Government Pension Offset prevent about 2.8 million government retirees nationwide and 90,000 in Louisiana who earned pensions from those careers from collecting their full Social Security benefits earned while working outside of government.
Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy has been among the most vocal in advocating for a floor vote on the Social Security Fairness Act by GOP Louisiana Rep. Garrett Graves of Baton Rouge and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia that was approved by the House on a bipartisan vote of 327-75.
“I’m absolutely working to get a vote on the floor with this,” said Cassidy, who delivered a floor speech last week advocating for the bill.
Cassidy also has scheduled a telephone town hall Wednesday on WEP and GPO for constituents.
The bill has 62 bipartisan Senate sponsors, but will die unless it gets a vote by next week either as a stand-alone instrument or attached to another bill.
“It is shameful that such a widely supported measure has yet to be scheduled for a vote,” Susan Dixon, 68, a retired schoolteacher in San Clemente, California, and president of the California Retired Teachers Association told USA Today. “I will be at the rally to ensure our voices are heard and to demand action for the millions of retirees who deserve fairness and respect. It is also critical that our Senators are present for votes the next two weeks.”
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded late Sunday to USA TODAY saying the Act is “a high priority to get done this year.”
Opponents of the effort to remove WEP and GPO restrictions argue that repealing the current law will increase the strain already placed on Social Security and its future viability.
The Social Security Board of Trustees has said Social Security will become insolvent in 2035.
USA Today’s Medora Lee contributed to this report.
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Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Will push by public servants prompt Social Security vote in Senate?