Advocacy efforts for the Social Security Fairness Act Repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) Pays Off
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Citizens Abroad (ACA), a Washington, DC-based qualified 501(c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan, advocacy organization that represents the legislative and regulatory concerns of six million U.S. citizens living and working overseas to the U.S. Government, is pleased to see the U.S. House of Representatives vote in favor of the Social Security Fairness Act, HR. 82.
The Social Security Fairness Act calls for the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) which reduces the Social Security benefits of individuals who receive benefits from a federal, state, local government or foreign pension for employment not covered by U.S. Social Security. ACA maintains that U.S. citizens who live or are living overseas should not be penalized by having their U.S. Social Security benefits reduced simply because they spent part of their careers abroad and contributed to foreign pension plans, in many cases mandated by the country where they are living.
Previous drafts of WEP legislation have not included foreign pension recipients whether they are U.S. citizens who live (or lived) overseas. HR.82 includes foreign pension recipients, as does the Senate companion bill S597. The vote on HR.82 was taken late in the day on November 12th with 327 to 75 to approve, demonstrating strong bi-partisan support.
ACA, alongside organizations representing police officers, teachers, firefighters, and other local and state public servants as well as, organizations representing foreign pension recipients, advocated strongly to Representatives for HR.82. ACA educated Representatives on how individuals who are receiving foreign pensions are not “double dipping.” These are individuals that have contributed fully to both U.S. Social Security and their foreign pensions and are counting on these benefits for their retirement. ACA continues to encourage members and supporters to use their online advocacy campaign to write to their Representatives in Congress to help support ACA’s efforts on Capitol Hill. Stop the reduction of US Social Security due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) - American Citizens Abroad
“The advocacy efforts by ACA and all the groups representing individuals affected, and by our members and supporters, paid off. The support for HR.82 was bi-partisan, and that is a great success and a testament to the hard work all the organizations put behind their advocacy efforts. Now it’s onto the Senate,” said Jonathan Lachowitz, ACA Chairman.
“What’s important now is not only getting the Senate bill passed but ensuring that no changes are made that remove foreign pension recipients from the bill. We have seen this happen in the past based on claims that Social Security doesn’t have access to the data it needs from foreign employment records. If that’s the case then the legislation should include a provision that mandates Social Security to access that data,” added Marylouise Serrato, ACA Executive Director.
Contact: Marylouise Serrato, +1 202 322 8441, marylouise.serrato@americansabroad.org
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