The Senate is set to vote on legislation that aims to enhance Social Security benefits for certain retirees.

• Public pension recipients may have their Social Security benefits reduced.
• In November, the House of Representatives passed a bill with a large majority to repeal those rules.
• The Senate must vote on the proposal within days of this Congress session's end.

Recently, Congress made a rare bipartisan effort to modify certain Social Security regulations.

On November 12th, the Social Security Fairness Act was passed by the House of Representatives with a massive 327 to 75 majority.

Approximately 2.8 million individuals who receive income from public pensions would no longer be subject to rules that reduce their Social Security benefits under the proposed plan.

The legislative victory for supporters of the bill has been followed by a suspenseful wait. However, the Senate must pass the proposal for it to become law. Unfortunately, the number of legislative days left in this session of Congress are quickly running out.

On Wednesday, at a rally on Capitol Hill, Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader from New York, pledged to bring the bill to a vote.

Schumer announced that the Senate will act, prompting applause from the crowd, including firefighters, police, postal workers, teachers, and other government employees, who gathered outside the Capitol building during rain.

Schumer stated that he had all his fellow Democrats on board, but they required the support of 15 Republicans.

"Schumer stated that what was happening to her was unfair and un-American, and she vowed to fight it until the end."

An 86-year-old retired teacher and member of a national grassroots task force that has advocated for the elimination of rules was present at the Capitol during the House's vote in November.

The small group of advocates cheered and cried with joy after witnessing the vote. "We were so happy," Marafino exclaimed.

She is now concerned about the potential consequences if the Senate does not pass the bill by Dec. 20.

"We'll need to have some champions again as Reps. Garret Graves and Abigail Spanberger, who co-led the bill, are leaving Congress," Marafino stated.

The federal government is proposing to make long-term care more affordable. What are Social Security's trust funds? A debate has emerged on the program's financing. "Dynamic pricing" was a top contender for word of the year.

Prospect of nixing rules prompts fierce debate

Although supporters of the bill are enthusiastic, many experts on both sides have stated that the Social Security Fairness Act is not the best policy.

The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset were intended to ensure that all Social Security beneficiaries receive equal compensation for their contributions to the program.

Workers with lower lifetime earnings receive higher income replacement rates from Social Security, as it is a progressive program.

Experts contend that workers who are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits and have income from pensions where they didn't contribute taxes may receive a higher income replacement than some workers who contributed to the program throughout their careers.

The bill does not provide a mechanism to offset the expense of the benefits it adds.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that over 10 years, the program will cost approximately $196 billion. With only nine years left before the trust fund is depleted, the program's retirement benefits may be at risk.

According to Emerson Sprick, associate director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, there are no policy experts who support repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.

Approximately 3% of Social Security beneficiaries, which amounts to 2.1 million individuals, experience a reduction in their retirement or disability benefit payments due to receiving pension benefits from jobs not covered by Social Security.

Almost 746,000 individuals, or about 1% of all Social Security beneficiaries, are affected by the GPO, which reduces spousal or widow(er) benefits due to pensions from non-covered government employment.

Some experts suggest replacing rules with more precise formulas for adjusting benefits.

The International Association of Fire Fighters advocates for removing all rules.

Firefighters in Louisiana typically start with a salary of around $40,000, according to Edward Kelly, general president of IAFF. To supplement their income, many of these professionals take on additional jobs, which require them to pay Social Security payroll taxes. However, when they become eligible for benefits from the program, their income is reduced.

Kelly stated that workers who contribute the same as non-public employees may have their monthly benefits reduced by $500 or $600.

"Kelly stated, "This is both devastating and unfair, as you are being discriminated against for your public service.""

Public workers say Social Security cuts hurt

The reduction of Social Security benefits for many public workers catches them off guard.

Roger Boudreau, a 75-year-old ex-teacher and member of the Alliance for Retired Americans, routinely receives annual benefit statements from Social Security that provide estimates of his expected monthly income.

He stated that the disclosures did not contain any details regarding the WEP or GPO penalties.

Boudreau failed to anticipate the reduction in his monthly checks until he signed up for Social Security benefits 10 years ago.

Boudreau was shocked to learn that his Social Security benefits would be reduced by 40%, resulting in an estimated annual loss of approximately $5,000 over the past decade.

According to Lois Carson, 64, president of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, other public workers are being forced to delay their retirements due to the impact of the rules on them.

Carson, a Columbus City School employee for 37 years, has postponed her retirement due to rules that restrict her Social Security survivor benefits while receiving a pension.

"Carson stated that many women work longer to receive their husband's Social Security benefits while working, but when they retire, it decreases to one-third."

If the bill is not passed, most of the 30,000 members she represents will exceed their 30 years of employment, she stated.

Advocacy groups have been working tirelessly to get lawmakers to move the bill.

In November, the proposal passed in the House, prompting Kelly to reveal that firefighters have sent approximately 29,000 emails to Senate leaders in support of the bill.

The stakes are high, experts say.

The bill's passage in this Congress is crucial, as it competes with the Senate's other legislative priorities, according to Kelly.

The bill, with 62 Senate co-sponsors, is likely to pass when it comes up for a vote.

""Whether it gets to a final vote under standard Senate procedure, I don't see much opportunity for it to fail," Sprick said."