Update: Congress Looks at Impact of GPO and WEP
January 21, 2008
The House Ways and Means, Social Security Subcommittee held a hearing on the impact of social security provisions affecting some public employees and their families who face hardships in retirement, or in the event of disability or death. Discussed at length were the effect of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).
Chaired by Congressman Michael McNulty (NY-21), the committee heard testimony from the Social Security Administration, Congressional Research Service, and from a handful of labor witnesses who represent public sector workers. The hearing was attended by NAGE lobbyist Randy Erwin. President David Holway will be submitting written testimony for the record.
“I know there is a high degree of concern about these provisions—known as the ‘GPO,’ for Government Pension Offset, and the ‘WEP,’ for Windfall Elimination Provision,” said Chairman McNulty in his opening statement. “These rules were intended to help treat workers across employment sectors equitably. But many of the approximately one million individuals whose benefits are affected by these provisions believe the GPO and WEP are unfair.”
Remarking on the hearing, Presidetn Holway said, "Public employees have been unfairly penalized by the WEP and GPO. They should be entitled to the benefits for which they have paid during their working lives. These provisions are simply bad public policy, and nothing short of a full repeal of these provisions will correct these inequities. We will continue to push Senator Kerry and Congress for a repeal of these provisions in 2008."