They're Taking Away Your Pension -- ACT NOW !!!!
Urgent Plea to Defeat H.R. 743 ( Social Security "Protection" Act )
Colleagues,
I'm sending a second urgent plea requesting you to call Senator Durbin and Senator Fitzgerald about this critical Social Security matter. Thanks Much!!!!
Please take immediate action to defeat H.R. 743. Call your U.S. Senators TODAY. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121.
-----Original Message-----
From: Kacen, Norma [NEA]
Sent: Tue Sep 16 12:53:19 2003
To: GPO-WEP-CADRE [NEA]; State-GR-Directors [AFF]
Alfred [NEA]; Lewis, Carrie [NEA]
Subject: GPO/WEP Update
Subsequent to yesterday's announcement of Senate Finance Committee action on Wednesday, September 17, NEA learned that the legislation before the Committee would not only impose the 'one-day rule' jeopardizing affected members Social Security spousal benefits, it would also implement a harsher enforcement advocated by the Administration in testimony offered last May.
An updated alert is attached.
H.R. 743 Returns: Bill Would Expand the GPO/WEP Impact; Prevent Educators From Protecting Their Retirement Benefits
Call your U.S. Senators TODAY. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
The Message:
H.R. 743 must not pass out of the Senate Finance Committee with Sec. 210 and Sec. 418. This vote is very important to educators in your District. NEA will be watching the vote closely.
If your Senators serve on the Finance Committee (see below),
leave them this message.
Ask your Senators who do not serve on the Finance Committee to take the message to Finance Committee members.
All Congressional offices can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-2131.
The Issue: The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, September 17, will consider H.R. 743 as part of a larger package of Enron-related pension issues.
The legislation has the effect of making harsher the impacts of offsets that unfairly reduce Social Security benefits affected public employees or their spouses have earned.
Section 418
The Social Security Protection Act (HR 743), includes a provision (Section 418) that prohibits employees of non-Social Security districts from protecting spousal Social Security benefits by switching jobs at the end of their careers so that they do not suffer the GPO penalty. This provision would change the eligibility requirement to qualify for spousal benefits from working one day to working five years in a Social Security district.
Section 210
Section 210 appears to be a response to the Administration's testimony in May that the Social Security Administration should tighten enforcement of the current offsets by rooting out everyone who isn't currently tagged for GPO and WEP offsets, but should be!
Section 210 would require State and local government pension paying entities to report whether the pension is based in whole or in part on earnings not covered by Social Security.
This provision would also allow the IRS to share data with the Social
Security Administration for the purposes of administering the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). The provision would apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2003.
NEA strongly opposes Sec. 418 and Sec. 210 of H.R 743 and urges Congress instead to focus on fixing the underlying problem by repealing the GPO and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).
Talking Points:
- The Government Pension Offset unfairly reduces the retirement
benefits of public employees who have dedicated their lives to serving their communities and their country. As educators, we are shocked to learn that our decision to enter the education profession - often at considerable financial sacrifice - may cause us to lose benefits we counted on.
- Section 418 of the Social Security Protection Act would prevent
teachers from avoiding the often devastating impacts of the GPO by transferring to a school district covered by Social Security just before they retire.
- Instead of addressing what is clearly a response to a larger issue of
unfairness, Congress should focus on remedying the underlying problem by repealing the Government Pension Offset.
- Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and Collins (R-ME) have introduced the
Social Security Fairness Act (S. 349), which would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision - another unfair offset that reduces Social Security benefits public employees have earned.
- Please defeat H.R. 743 and, instead, take immediate action to pass S. 349, which would fix the problem and protect educators benefits.
Senate Finance Committee Members
| Republican Members: |
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Democratic Members: |
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Independent Members: |
| Grassley, Charles E. (IA), Chmn. |
Rockefeller IV, John D. (WV) |
Jeffords, James M. "Jim" (VT) |
| Baucus, Max S. (MT) |
Daschle, Thomas A. "Tom" (SD) |
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| Hatch, Orrin G. (UT) |
Breaux, John (LA) |
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| Nickles, Don (OK) |
Conrad, Kent (ND) |
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| Lott, Trent (MS) |
Graham, Bob (FL) |
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| Snowe, Olympia (ME) |
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| Kyl, Jon (AZ) |
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| Thomas, Craig (WY) |
Bingaman, Jeff (NM) |
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| Santorum, Rick (PA) |
Kerry, John F. (MA) |
| Frist, William H. "Bill" (TN) |
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| Smith, Gordon (OR) |
Lincoln, Blanche L. (AR) |
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| Bunning, Jim (KY) |
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