Representative Steven S. Howitt hails U.S. Senate vote to advance Social Security Fairness Act

Boston – State Representative Steven S. Howitt (R-Seekonk) said the U.S. Senate’s vote this week to advance the Social Security Fairness Act is good news for many Massachusetts retirees.

Representative Howitt joined with his colleagues in the House Republican Caucus to submit a letter to Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey on December 12, urging them to help secure the bill’s timely passage before Congress recesses for the year. The bill cleared a procedural vote in the Senate on December 19 with 73 votes, and now needs just one more majority vote for passage.

Representative Howitt said the Social Security Fairness Act would amend federal law by eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, both of which have adversely impacted Social Security benefits for numerous retirees and their families.

“The Social Security Fairness Act seeks to address a serious inequity in current federal law that has resulted in significantly reduced Social Security benefits for millions of public service employees,” the caucus wrote. “In addition to restoring Social Security payments to these individuals, this legislation would also prevent reductions in benefits for their surviving spouses.”

The U.S. House of Representatives previously voted overwhelmingly to pass the Social Security Fairness Act on a vote of 327-75. In writing to Senators Warren and Markey to advocate for the bill’s passage, the House Republican Caucus noted that “this far-reaching legislation … will truly make a positive difference in many of our constituents’ lives” by “providing them with enhanced financial security during their golden years.”

“We stand in solidarity with the many police, firefighters, teachers and other dedicated public employees who will benefit from the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act. Time is of the essence, and it is imperative that the Senate act quickly to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset to assist our hard-working public service workers in local, state and federal government.”