Congress Pushes to Get Rid of Social Security Windfall Provisions

November 18, 2024. Bipartisan legislation that would repeal two provisions of Social Security easily passed last week in the House of Representatives. Current SS policies curtail benefits to about 2.8 million workers. The provisions that would be eliminated are the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. Currently many workers in the public sector who receive pensions from their jobs, such as teachers and firemen who receive other pensions, do not get their full Social Security benefits.

The bill has many supporters. It passed in the House and now moves on to the Senate, where its future is uncertain. President Biden has said he will sign it into law if it passes. People who worked in government jobs in municipalities, states, and the federal civil service have been hurt by the policies.

The cost of the expansion would be considerable, adding about $195 billion to the deficit. It would also speed up the date by which the Social Security Trust Funds are depleted, currently estimated at 2035. Many conservative members of Congress oppose the legislation.

If the bill is not approved by Congress by Jan. 4 it will have to be completed restarted in the new Congress.