Tim Lee, the Texas Retired Teachers Association’s (TRTA) Executive Director, will host a live event from Washington D.C. discussing the latest news concerning the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. Central.
Watching the live event is easy! Just click on TRTA’s Facebook page or YouTube channel. These live events are recorded and are viewable after airing from the same links provided.
Lee will be in Washington, D.C., along with many other retiree organizations, to continue the fight against WEP and GPO during the first week of December.
Two recent articles, one from San Antonio Express News and one from The Hill, reviewed the current state of the WEP and GPO repeal in the Senate.
WEP and GPO Background
The WEP is a law that prevents retired Texas educators that participate in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) from drawing their entire Social Security benefit. The GPO is like the WEP, but instead of reducing the worker’s benefits, the GPO reduces the benefits for a spouse or former spouse who claims spousal benefits based on a spouse’s or former spouse’s earnings record.
On November 12, H.R. 82 passed through the U.S. House of Representatives with a vote of 327 in favor and 75 against. H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 proposes to repeal the unfair Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).
Members, time is NOT on our side!
While this vote was historic by being the first one taken on these arbitrary provisions since their inception forty years ago, the work to help retirees impacted by WEP and GPO is not done!
We are a third of the way to repeal of WEP and GPO. If Senate Majority Leader Schumer does not make HR 82 a priority by putting it on the Senate’s agenda for a vote, this effort will die! TRTA believes an up or down vote on WEP/GPO repeal is now required to see who really stands with public workers and Social Security fairness.
Here’s How You Can Help!
TRTA members MUST SHARE this update with all family, friends, and fellow retirees! PLEASE CONTACT anyone you know who lives in the state of New York and have them call Senate Majority Leader Schumer.
Contacting Sen. Majority Leader Schumer
Call (202) 224-6542 and ask to speak to the staff member who works on Social Security issues. Here is a short script you may use:
- Hello, I am a member of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA). I am asking Sen. Majority Leader Schumer to please add repeal of the WEP and GPO to the Senate agenda now that H.R. 82 has passed the House of Representatives, before the end of this cycle.
- As a sponsor of repeal, and as a person who has direct influence over whether or not the repeal of WEP and GPO will win this Congress, we NEED Leader Schumer to bring this bill forward for a vote!
- Thank you for your support!
Contacting Sen. Dick Durbin
Please call anyone you know who is living in Illinois and call Senator Dick Durbin.
Call (202) 224-2152 and ask to speak to the staff member who works on Social Security issues. Here is a short script you may use:
- Hello, I am a member of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA). I am asking Sen. Durbin to please encourage Majority Leader Schumer to add repeal of the WEP and GPO to the Senate agenda now that H.R. 82 has passed the House of Representatives, before the end of this cycle.
- As a sponsor of repeal, and as a person who has direct influence over whether or not the repeal of WEP and GPO will win this Congress, we NEED Senator Durbin’s help to bring this bill forward for a vote!
- Thank you for your support!
Please note, if you get a voicemail box when calling a Senate office, we ask that you please leave a message, as Senate offices are now being flooded with calls.
Have You Sent Your Email to Your Texas Senator?
Our members have sent thousands of emails to Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. Please don’t stop the momentum now! If you have not yet sent you email, use our quick and easy Action Alert system to send it today!
Thank You!
If you want TRTA to be able to continue our work, please support us today and renew your membership dues! This is how we are able to deploy resources when needed at urgent times such as these. If you are not a member, please join today! It may be the best $35 you spend every year to protect and improve your livelihood and income as we fight for your retirement security!
