Senate advances Social Security Fairness Act

Last night, the Senate passed our Social Security Fairness Act.

This means teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public servants in AZ will get the Social Security benefits they earned – a clear win for families across our state.https://t.co/VDSue06h3L

— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) December 21, 2024

The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill that will boost retirement benefits for teachers and first responders in Georgia and South Carolina. The Social Security Fairness Act, championed by Sen. Jon Ossoff, successfully passed the House of Representatives last month and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Among its key provisions, the bill will repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).

Public servants dedicate years of service to improving the lives of their neighbors and caring for their communities. As they retire, they should have full access to their social security benefits. I voted in support of the Social Security Fairness Act to ensure that they do.

— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) December 23, 2024

These provisions currently reduce or eliminate regular Social Security benefits for workers and their eligible family members if the worker receives or is entitled to a pension based on earnings from employment not covered by Social Security. “Educators, firefighters, and law enforcement officers already make huge sacrifices for our state and aren’t in it for the money — it makes no sense to unfairly reduce their Social Security benefits,” Sen. Ossoff said.

The Senate has followed the House and passed our #SocialSecurityFairnessAct by a vote of 85-11. This means that tens of thousands of Ohioans and millions who served communities nationwide will now be able to receive the full retirement benefits they earned.https://t.co/P5uAenvd6b

— Rep. Marcy Kaptur (@RepMarcyKaptur) December 21, 2024

“That’s why I worked to successfully pass the Social Security Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill that would repeal these unfair policies and ensure these public servants receive the Social Security benefits they’ve earned through their work.” The Social Security Fairness Act has received widespread support from educators’ unions, first responders, and law enforcement organizations. In other recent legislative efforts, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan bill to crack down on fentanyl trafficking at the southern border is also headed to the President’s desk. The DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act passed the U.S. House and requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop technologies that better detect drug trafficking across the border.

Senate passes Social Security benefits boost

Additionally, a bipartisan bill to support the families of fallen U.S. service members has passed the U.S. Senate. The Gold Star Children Education Act will support the education of children after the loss of a parent who served. This legislation passed the Senate as part of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Ossoff is also introducing bipartisan legislation to build more sports facilities for Georgia kids and families. The Youth Sports Facilities Act would make youth sports facilities eligible for grants through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, giving educational agencies, local governments, and nonprofits more funding opportunities. Further, the Senate passed the bipartisan Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2024, backed by Ossoff. This legislation aims to improve pediatric medical care for severely ill and injured children and reauthorizes the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program for five years. Earlier this year, Sen. Ossoff backed a bipartisan bill that reauthorizes grant funding for law enforcement family support services and establishes suicide prevention programs and mental health services for officers. Another initiative introduced last year alongside Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) aims to help first responders, teachers, and law enforcement officers to buy their first homes.