Washington - On Sunday, Congressman Lance Gooden attended the signing of the Social Security Fairness Act into law, marking a significant victory for retired teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants across the nation. This bipartisan legislation eliminates the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which for decades have unjustly reduced or eliminated Social Security benefits for nearly 2.5 million Americans.
“From the day I first campaigned for Congress in 2018, I vowed to fight tirelessly until this unfair system was corrected. I promised to work with anyone to get it done, including signing multiple discharge petitions and exhausting every legislative avenue to force a vote in Congress, and now, six years later, we’ve delivered. Public servants who have been robbed of their Social Security benefits will finally receive what they rightfully earned.” Said Congressman Gooden.
The WEP and GPO have long penalized public servants, including educators who worked part-time jobs covered by Social Security and retirees whose spousal benefits were unfairly slashed. With the passage of this law, these harmful provisions are repealed, ensuring retirees receive the full benefits they earned and widows and widowers no longer face reductions in spousal benefits.
“I am especially grateful to Tim Lee of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA), who has been an unwavering advocate for this legislation and joined me today for the signing,” Gooden continued. “This is a victory for retirees everywhere, and I couldn’t be more proud to have stood alongside them in this fight.”
Congressman Gooden, Tim Lee of TRTA, and Joe Biden at The White House For The Signing of the WEP/GPO Repeal Bill
