Congressman Gonzalez Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Ensure South Texas’ Public Servants Receive Their Fair Share of Social Security Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) re-introduced H.R. 5342, the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2023, to eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and establish a new formula to ensure millions of public servants receive their full retirement benefits. This legislation would also allow Social Security benefits to keep pace with the rising cost-of-living, healthcare, and prescription drugs.
"This bipartisan bill would ensure our teachers, police officers, and firefighters are treated fairly by replacing the Wind Elimination Provision,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “Retired public servants deserve to fully benefit from the system they’ve paid into for most of their lives. It is untenable to reduce these benefits as the cost-of-living rises. I will continue working to eliminate the unfair WEP formula and expand Social Security so South Texans may retire with the dignity they deserve.”
“The Association of Texas Professional Educators is proud to support HR 5342, the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2023, and thanks Congressman Arrington and Congressman Gonzalez for their continued support for the active and retired educators of Texas as well as public servants at large. We believe that this legislation is a step in the right direction toward fixing the longstanding inequities caused by the Windfall Elimination Provision and providing the vital relief that our public servants deserve and we urge Congress to continue working diligently toward that end,” said Monty Exeter, Director of Government Relations for the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE).
“More than 200,000 Texas retired public educators and more than 2 million public servants nationwide are negatively affected by the unfair and arbitrary Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which reduces their earned Social Security benefits,” said Tim Lee, Director of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA). “Ninety-five percent of Texas public school employees do not pay into Social Security through their work with Texas schools. However, many have other jobs before, during, or after their employment in education in which they do pay into the federal program.”
He continued, “TRTA hopes to build on the bipartisan momentum of the last Congress and work with the Texas Delegation and Congressman Vicente Gonzalez to move toward that ultimate goal. We appreciate Congressman Gonzales for leading in the effort to reform and repeal these egregious social security penalties.”
Congressman Gonzalez was joined by Congressmen Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-02), Bob Latta (OH-05), Randy Weber (TX-14), Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), August Pfluger (TX-11), Gregory F. Murphy, M.D. (NC-03), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Bob Good (VA-05), Don Bacon (NE-02), Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Chip Roy (TX-21), Paul Gosar (AZ-11), and Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (TX-24).
The full text of the bill can be found here.
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