Tucson Standard

U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani from Arizona's 6th District expressed approval for the House of Representatives' bipartisan passage of the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82). The legislation, now advancing to the Senate, aims to ensure full Social Security benefits for public sector employees.

The current law affects certain public sector workers such as educators, firefighters, and law enforcement officers who do not receive their full Social Security benefits if they also have other retirement income like a pension. H.R. 82 seeks to eliminate both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) from the Social Security Act, enabling these employees to obtain complete benefits.

“When our public sector employees retire, they deserve to receive the entirety of the Social Security benefits they paid into,” stated Ciscomani. “This legislation would ensure that our public sector employees, like educators, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and more do not have their Social Security benefits unfairly reduced. I was proud to co-sponsor this legislation, sign onto a discharge petition to force a House vote, and support its passage out of the House of Representatives, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to act.”

Ciscomani joined as a cosponsor in April 2023 for H.R. 82, which became the most-cosponsored bill of the 118th Congress with 330 supporters at its passage.

In September 2023, Ciscomani signed a discharge petition requiring a majority signature in the House for bringing a vote on H.R. 82 despite it not being marked-up by Committee or supported by Majority party leadership.

The WEP currently reduces benefits for approximately two million beneficiaries receiving pensions from non-Social Security covered jobs while GPO impacts about 800,000 retirees who are surviving spouses collecting pensions under similar conditions.