Congressman Gonzalez Cosponsors Legislation to Secure Retirement Relief for Teachers, Firefighters, and Police Officers
WASHINGTON – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) has co-sponsored the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act of 2021, legislation that will fix the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) for future retirees and provide meaningful relief to teachers, firefighters, police officers and public servants who are impacted by this provision.
The legislation establishes a new, fairer formula that will pay Social Security benefits in proportion to the share of a worker's earnings that were covered for Social Security purposes. This provision is coupled with a benefit guarantee ensuring no benefit cuts relative to current law for all current and future retirees. Current WEP retirees will receive $150 a month in relief payments.
"Social Security benefits are not equal for all Texans," Congressman Gonzalez said. "I have heard from far too many Central and South Texans who dedicated their lives to public service and are unfairly penalized because of the WEP. This bill will address that issue and secure benefits of hardworking Americans across the 15th District of Texas."
"The Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act garnered more support in Congress last year than any previous WEP reform bill. This year, I look forward to building on that momentum to advance the bill even further, and we're off to a running start with 139 original cosponsors," said Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal. "The WEP negatively affects nearly 2 million retired public servants across the country, including 83,000 in Massachusetts. Public employees like firefighters, teachers, and police officers should not miss out on the Social Security benefits they earned over decades of hard work. With this legislation, these valued members of our communities will have greater retirement security and peace of mind."
Originally, the WEP was intended to equalize the Social Security benefit formula for workers with similar earnings histories, both inside and outside of the Social Security system. However, in practice, it unfairly penalizes many public employees. The much-needed reforms in this bill provide meaningful WEP relief to current retirees and public employees while treating all workers fairly.
The following materials are available on the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act of 2021: