Ocean County Leader

With the backing of Representative Chris Smith, the House of Representatives has passed the Social Security Fairness Act (HR 82) with a vote of 327-75. The legislation aims to repeal two provisions, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduce Social Security benefits for certain public servants such as police officers, firefighters, and teachers.

"It is egregiously unfair that our fellow Americans who have spent substantial portions of their careers serving their communities are punished by having their benefits cut in this way," said Smith, who cosponsored the bill. "This critical legislation will help restore fairness to the retirement program for the millions of Americans who deserve their hard-earned benefits."

The WEP and GPO currently affect nearly three million Americans receiving a public pension from jobs not covered by Social Security or those with spouses employed in similar positions.

In September, Smith signed a discharge petition to bring the bill directly to a House vote after it stalled in committee despite bipartisan support. The petition gathered 218 signatures, allowing it to bypass further committee review.

"The urgent need to repeal the WEP and GPO completely is why I have been a proud cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act since it was first introduced last January and why I signed the discharge petition to ensure it received its well-deserved consideration by the House of Representatives," Smith stated.