The House may compel a vote on legislation to repeal rules that diminish pensioners' Social Security benefits.

• A vote on a bill to eliminate rules reducing Social Security benefits for pensioners can now be prompted by house lawmakers after they have gathered the necessary signatures.
• The Social Security Fairness Act aims to abolish the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
• Although the bipartisan bill has broad backing in both the House and Senate, its ultimate passage remains uncertain.

Washington lawmakers possess the necessary signatures to compel a vote on a bill that abolishes rules decreasing Social Security benefits for certain retirees who also receive pension income.

On Thursday morning, Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Garret Graves held a press conference outside the Capitol building alongside organizations representing various government employees to mark the 206 signatures collected by a discharge petition against rules affecting their professions.

By Thursday afternoon, the bill had garnered 218 signatures, necessitating a vote.

Almost 3 million Americans would have their Social Security benefits increased under the Social Security Fairness Act, which repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset.

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Graves stated that something unjust, which has been ongoing for over four decades, has been taken on by both parties in a bipartisan manner.

He stated that some of the most significant contributors to our community are being discriminated against in important occupations.

How WEP, GPO rules affect retirement decisions

About 2 million Social Security beneficiaries are affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision, which reduces benefits for those who receive pension income from public roles that did not contribute to Social Security payroll taxes but who also paid into the program and qualified for benefits through other work.

Almost 800,000 retirees are affected by the Government Pension Offset, which reduces spousal benefits for federal, state or local government employees who did not contribute to Social Security payroll taxes.

The rules can force affected workers to make tough retirement decisions.

Lois Carson, president of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, stated during a press conference on Thursday that the rules governing survivor benefits affected her decisions to support her family after her husband's death. Although Carson was able to receive income from his pension, she was unable to access Social Security survivor benefits because she and her husband both worked as public employees.

Carson stated that he continues to work after 37 years because retiring would result in losing half of his funding due to a specific law.

Carson mentioned a friend who lost her $1,200 monthly Social Security benefit checks after retiring from her job as a public-school employee.

Bill faces uncertainties despite bipartisan momentum

Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, stated on Thursday that the bill to repeal the WEP and GPO rules is the "most bipartisan and co-sponsored bill in the United States Congress."

The House version of the bill currently has 327 co-sponsors.

If the bill is voted on in the House, it may pass, according to experts.

Whether the bill will be put up for a vote in the Senate, where it has 62 co-sponsors, is yet to be determined.

Recently, Emerson Sprick, the associate director for the Bipartisan Policy Center's economic policy program, stated that time constraints may limit the progress of efforts.

Before the end of the year, a lot of work remains for both the Senate and the House, according to Sprick.

Some experts believe that adjusting the WEP and GPO rules to be fairer is a better solution than completely eliminating them.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the move would cost approximately $196 billion over 10 years. This comes as the program is already facing a trust fund shortfall, with the program's combined funds projected to run out in 2035, when 83% of benefits will be payable.

Concerns have been raised that repealing the rules would result in a more generous income replacement formula for workers who have combined public and private work compared to those who contribute to Social Security for their entire careers.

According to Paul Van de Water, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, individuals who have worked in both covered and non-covered employment should receive some Social Security benefits.

"The question is how much," he said.