Members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) may recall a special tribute to a young Texan when President Biden signed HR 82 into law on January 5. Eliseo Jimenez, a Lubbock High School student, beamed proudly when advocates from all over the nation sang “Happy Birthday” to him.
How and why Eliseo came to be at the White House on the day the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) became the law of the land is a truly intriguing tale.
This brazen and dedicated seventeen-year-old, during his 2024 summer break, just so happened to walk all the way from Lubbock to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness about the devastating impact of these harmful Social Security provisions.
“My real inspiration for walking to D.C all the way from Lubbock is my grandmother, Adriana Ramirez-Martinez. She is a retired teacher, and she relied only on her pension.” Eliseo believed he could help her and others impacted by bringing awareness the HR 82, the bill that ultimately passed both the U.S. House and Senate near the end of 2024.
Eliseo also has many other family members who rely on pensions, adding “several of my cousins and uncles work in law enforcement.”
Eliseo first heard about HR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, last May while listening to the news. “I found it interesting and looked more into the topic.”
The young man came up with the idea for the walk while working with his brother. “We were talking about fundraising ideas, like a parade or a raffle, but he mentioned walking around the Lubbock loop. I revised it and said I should walk to D.C.”
Eliseo had about two weeks of preparation before deciding to go on his extraordinary voyage. He contacted radio stations, news channels, and newspapers. “Only one reached back to me and they were called El Editor.”
Making his long journey to D.C. from Texas, while worthy, certainly wasn’t always easy for Eliseo!
“The journey to D.C. involved more than just putting one foot in front of the other, though that does sum it up humorously! It required immense mental strength and physical endurance. The constant walking took a toll on my mental health because of the loneliness and being away from my family.”
Communicating with people was limited. “I really wasn’t in communication with anyone,” he says, “I was kind of in communication with Texas Representative Jodey Arrington’s office, but they had only called me once.”
Eliseo also experienced physical challenges, including painful chafing on his thighs and sore feet. Dealing with nature and the environment proved to be the most difficult aspects for Eliseo.
“Rain often soaked my feet, causing discomfort, and the hilly terrain made each day feel longer. I dealt with poison ivy in Arkansas, which affected my ankles twice and caused significant swelling!”
While Eliseo overcame poison ivy with the help of pain relief oil and Tylenol, what really kept him going was the fear of giving up.
“If I gave up on the walk, that would mean I would be giving up on my beliefs, this bill, and most importantly my grandmother. This fear of letting everyone down helped me push onward day and day. I didn’t want to be known as the boy who tried to walk to Washington, D.C., I wanted to actually do it!”
Eliseo also raised funds from many generous donors through GoFundMe, which not only supported the New Life Foundation, a charity dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities and senior citizens, but also provided for his meals and other necessities during the trip.
As Eliseo was a minor at the time, he was not able to reserve hotel rooms and often slept on public benches, at gyms and churches, or relied on the kindness of strangers.
“Along the way I found a few nice people who let me stay at their house,” he told CBS News. “This trip I learned the nation is actually pretty unified and everyone is pretty lovely.”
The entire trip should have been 1647 miles, but Eliseo experienced some trouble in Tennessee with a state trooper. Eliseo laughs, “I got pushed back two miles, so actually the entire trip was 1649 miles!”
All in all, it took Eliseo 40 days and 40 nights to make the trek, “like Jesus Christ as I like to say!” He finally reached D.C. on August 20.
Once he arrived in D.C., Eliseo met with the Social Security Administration (SSA), Human and Health Services, the Department of the Treasury, and with Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX, 19th District). He also met with the staff of Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA, 44th District), the staff of Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY, 13th District), and finally with Senior Tax Counsel Andrew Siracuse of Texas Senator John Cornyn’s office.
TRTA appreciates both Jodey Arrington and John Cornyn for making time for Eliseo on his journey.
As TRTA members may recall, HR 82 passed the U.S. House of Representatives on November 12, 2024, and the U.S. Senate followed suit on December 20, just moments before the congressional cycle ended.
“The joy in my family was palpable when it was passed. They celebrated not only the success of the legislation but also the fact that I played a part in making it happen!”
Eliseo’s appearance at the White House in January 2025 when the bill was signed by President Biden was thanks to his amazing friends at SSA, Claire Green and Ben Belton. “They were instrumental in making it all happen!”
However, when President Biden called on Eliseo to come to the stage during the signing, Eliseo was shocked! Unaware that Biden had planned to guide the crowd in honoring Eliseo’s birthday, Eliseo says, “I felt like there was nothing I couldn’t do!”
As our members know, with the repeal of the WEP and GPO, the SSA has a mountain amount of work ahead. Eliseo understands but has “confidence that we are in capable hands, as the dedicated individuals at SSA genuinely care for Social Security beneficiaries across the nation.”
Though Eliseo takes great pride in having played a role in this advocacy effort, he also shares his gratitude to the members of TRTA for all they have done to push for repeal of these provisions for more than four decades.
“This achievement was not the result of one person’s efforts—it required the collaboration of many individuals from diverse backgrounds to bring about this repeal.”
Eliseo sees the passage of HR 82 as a beacon of hope, one that will have a longstanding, generational impact.
“I will continue to work to ensure its continuation and to build upon this momentum to create an even brighter future for all!”
