President signs Social Security Act into law, successfully repealing WEP & GPO penalties on teachers, police, firefighters

BATON ROUGE — The Social Security Fairness Act to repeal WEP & GPO is now law after President Biden signed it.

It’s goes into effect as of Jan. 1, 2024. Congressman Graves said the president will sign and the law will go into effect retroactively.

“The Social Security Fairness Act is an act of insubordination,” said Congressman Garret Graves. “For forty years, police, firefighters, teachers and public servants have been robbed of their hard-earned retirement benefits. For forty years, politics has sidelined every effort to correct this injustice.”

“When I introduced H.R. 82 just two years ago, we assembled a coalition to subvert the political status quo and repeal the WEP and GPO. We held the first ever hearings on the bill. We collected the most cosponsors ever and it became the most cosponsored bill in the House. We forced the first-ever vote in the House and swiftly maneuvered the bill to the president’s desk. We upended the political status quo because the millions of public servants who protect and serve us deserve no less than what they truly earned,” added the congressman.

In one of their final actions of the year, the U.S. Senate passed legislation repealing two provisions that reduce—or, in some cases, entirely eliminate—Social Security benefits for teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public servants in Louisiana and other states.

The bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, authored by Baton Rouge Rep. Garret Graves, passed the Senate by a vote of 76-20 on Dec. 20, 2024. Both Louisiana senators voted in favor of repealing the provisions. 

The bill ensures that Americans are not denied Social Security benefits simply because they chose to work in public service at some point in their careers. It passed the U.S. House 327-75 last month.

Graves explained that the legislation seeks to remove the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset from Social Security law. WEP reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive income from non-covered pensions, which do not withhold Social Security taxes from their salaries. GPO reduces Social Security spousal or widower benefits for people who receive income from non-covered pensions.

Both provisions have been in effect for decades, specifically, for 42 years.

“Even politicians should feel guilty about 40 years of stealing retirement benefits from police officers, teachers, firefighters and other public servants,” U.S. Rep. Garret Graves told UWK. “For the first time ever, we gave Congress a chance to make things right and support our bill. This was a hard-fought battle for the most popular bill in Congress. Our bill is equally popular in the Senate and should enjoy the same success. I’m proud of this bill and proud to stand up for the people of Louisiana.”  

Graves said the Social Security Fairness Act would benefit nearly three million public employees, including about 90,000 in Louisiana. However, opponents argue that eliminating the WEP and GPO could cost nearly $200 billion over the next decade, with the funds coming from the Social Security trust that pays benefits to all recipients.

It has been a race against time for Graves to see the legislation passed.

“The reason is because in January, everything resets. It would be like the House never even passed the bill,” Graves said. “You have to start all over again.”

Graves, who did not seek reelection, will also leave Congress on Jan. 2. His 6th Congressional District seat was won by Democrat Cleo Fields in November.  

MORE: Redistricting paves the way for Cleo Fields’ victory in Louisiana’s 6th District

“In 40-plus years of folks pushing this, it’s never even been brought to a vote before. The fact that we’re here now, the most co-sponsored bill, forcing it for a vote, is the absolute high water mark. It’s remarkable and we have a ton of momentum behind this,” Graves said, but noted that the legislation is far from guaranteed to pass. 

Congressman Graves has said, people could begin seeing their full amounts by early 2025.

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