Given the amount of activity taking place on issues directly impacting public retirees, we’re publishing two news updates for you this week. Today, we’re focusing on the Social Security WEP & GPO laws. Friday’s weekly update will report on health insurance developments.
As you may know, the discharge petition filed to force a vote in the US House of Representatives to fully repeal the Social Security WEP and GPO laws gained majority support in the House (218 cosponsors) on Thursday, September 19. The House is now in recess until Tuesday, November 12th, when it is schedules to return to formal session following the election on November 5.
Over the past two weeks, a growing number of members have reached out with questions regarding the legislative process, potential timeline, and our thoughts on the likelihood of success in the waning days of the 2023-2024 Congressional Session (118th Congress).
House rules spell out the process which a discharge petition must follow. Now that the discharge petition has succeeded in gathering majority support, the formal process to bring HR82 to the floor of the House of Representatives will likely get underway when Congress returns to session on November 12th. Once the motion is formerly made by the bill’s bipartisan cosponsors, U.S. Representatives Garret Graves (R-LA-06) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), a vote must be scheduled within 2 legislative days. Assuming that the motion is filed on November 12th, a vote could take place as soon as November 14th. The final day of formal sessions prior to the Thanksgiving recess is Thursday, November 21st.
Should a vote not be taken by the 21st, the next opportunity for HR82 to be brought to the House floor will be Tuesday, December 3. However, with the federal budget set to expire on December 20th, the sooner a vote can take place on WEP/GPO the higher the likelihood of success.
Under the current Congressional calendar, the House is scheduled to adjourn for the year on December 19th and the US Senate on December 20th. In terms of timeline, this means that there are roughly 20 legislative days left in the current Congressional session. The timeline is tight, but not impossible.
Before answering the question as to the likelihood of HR82 being passed into law in 2024, let me first acknowledge and speak to the vast coordinated national effort – many years in the making – that has got us to this point. Remember, the fight over WEP/GPO has been fought since the laws were created in 1983.
What is different now than at any time during the past 41-years really comes down to four key factors:
- Strength in Numbers: The number of retirees across the country impacted by WEP & GPO continues to grow each year. Today, there are more than 2.1 million retirees harmed by the WEP and another 800,0000 harmed by the GPO.
- Awareness & the Internet: Modern technology and social media platforms have made is easier than ever for retirees to organize and advocate. In addition to the scores of retiree organizations and public employee unions actively fighting to end the WEP/GPO laws, retirees have come together online. Facebook’s National WEP & GPO Repeal Movement has enlisted more than 36,000 followers, comprised of a mixture of public retirees, railroad and postal retirees, and foreign pension recipients who are impacted by WEP/GPO. The internet has also made it easier than ever to engage members of Congress, all of whom have their own social media presence.
- Coordinated Effort: Perhaps because of the growing number of impacted retirees spread across all 50 states, advocacy efforts to end WEP/GPO have become more coordinated and strategic in recent years across retiree organizations and organized labor. Members of Congress are continually bombarded with requests to cosponsor and prioritize legislation to repeal the two laws. A review of just about any Congressional Facebook post will show comments related to WEP/GPO advocacy, regardless of the focus of the original post.
- Perseverance: While some members have understandably grown disenchanted with the fight and would prefer that our Association “give up and move on”, the fact that the HR82 discharge petition quickly achieved success is proof that perseverance pays off. We believe this is just the second time since 2015 where a discharge petition has achieved majority support – a significant accomplishment.
That being said, what are the chances of success this year? The short answer is that there is now more support to end WEP/GPO in both branches of Congress than ever before. Whether or not that translates to “Yes” votes on the floor remains to be seen.
Successfully passing legislation through both branches of Congress is hard and very complicated. Complicating matters even further is the timing of this legislative push. Not only is the bill being pushed forward in what is known as a lame duck session, it will happen in the aftermath of a highly contested presidential election and at a time when control of the House and/or Senate could be in the process of changing hands. These political factors, while not directly related to the issue of WEP/GPO, will likely play a role in the outcome.
Another important factor is the calendar. With just twenty or so legislative days left in 2024, passing any bill through both the House and Senate will not be an easy task. Specific to HR82 will be whether an organized effort develops in opposition to the bill’s passage. So far there has been a mild response from groups opposed to full repeal, such as the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget – which is on record supporting reform of WEP/GPO, but is opposed to repeal. However, this is something we will continue to closely watch.
If an organized effort to oppose HR82 and full repeal does gain steam, it could result in a compromise proposal emerging from the House and/or Senate leadership. The framework of such a compromise currently exists in the form of WEP reform bills filed by Congressmen Richie Neal and Jodey Arrington. However, the proposals would have to evolve to include relief from the GPO, as well as the WEP.
While passage of full repeal of WEP/GPO remains uncertain, we must collectively keep the pressure on Congress to act – which is exactly what we will continue to do. We ask that members continue to do your part to help advocate for change. If you see your local member of Congress on the campaign trail in the coming weeks, make a point of reminding them that ending the WEP/GPO laws must be a priority. Now is the time to act!
Please look to Friday’s weekly update for the latest news on retiree health insurance, as well as our upcoming Area Meetings taking place next week in Pittsfield and West Springfield.
With great appreciation,
Shawn
Shawn Duhamel
Chief Executive Officer
Mass Retirees Association