After the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released the following statement:
Friday night’s Senate passage of the Social Security Fairness Act rights a 40-year-old wrong for America’s teachers, firefighters, police officers, postal workers, and so many other public sector workers who make our country run.
This bipartisan bill undoes a provision in current law that unfairly short-changes public sector workers and their families who want to continue contributing to their community or need a second job to pay their bills. President Biden’s signature on the legislation will put an end to the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset that currently cuts Social Security benefits for more than 3.5 million Americans.
Social Security is the cornerstone of retirement security for millions of working Americans. It remains one of our nation’s most successful, cost-effective, and popular programs, providing income and dignity to retirees who pay into the system throughout their working years. We hope the bill passed last night is the start of a broader effort to protect and improve the program.
We are grateful to Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), as well as Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Garret Graves (R-LA), for their leadership on this issue and for building support across party lines. We are also deeply appreciative of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s leadership and for prioritizing this legislation during a busy lame duck session.
Contact: Riley Lopez, 202-637-5018