Britt, Tuberville fails to block the Social Security Fairness Act

On Saturday, the US Senate voted 76-20 to pass Social Security Fairness Acta bill sponsored by US Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, which said it would address “appalling inequality” in the distribution of social security funds. Last month, the bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 327-75.

The bill is specifically designed to repeal two statutes — the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) — that reduce payments to people receiving government pensions not covered by Social Security. These individuals include state and local police, firefighters, teachers, bus drivers and other public sector employees and their spouses.

However, Sens. Katie Britt, R-AL, and Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, were among the minority who voted against the bill’s passage.

“WEP and GPO are flawed, but the ‘Social Security Fairness Act’ is far from fair, nor is it accurate or fiscally responsible,” said Britt in an official statement.

“I voted against this roughly $200 billion bill because it would hasten the insolvency of the Social Security Trust Fund and provide Social Security benefits that were not paid for by beneficiaries. I was disappointed that Senator Cruz’s amendment failed, which would have helped fix WEP in a fairer way,” she continued. “It is critical that we meet our obligations to the hard-working families and retirees who have paid into Social Security for generations to come.”

Britt’s comments are consistent with Congressional Budget Office projections that the legislation will add $196 billion to the federal deficit over the next 10 years and accelerate Social Security’s projected insolvency by six months.

Interestingly, President-elect Donald Trump recently made comments indicating that he would be in favor removal of the national debt ceiling — a policy move that directly opposes the so-called “fiscal responsibility” that Britt and Tuberville — both staunch Trump allies — claim to support.

Before the Social Security Fairness Act was passed, Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, proposed an amendment that would offset the legislation’s additional costs by gradually raising the retirement age from 67 to 70 over 12 years. That amendment was rejected by all but three senatorswhere both Britt and Tuberville voted against Paul’s proposal.

However, Britt and Tuberville did vote for a separate amendment introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, that would have increased monthly payments for those affected by WEP by $100 to $150 each month. Cruz’s amendment also would have based future retirees’ earnings on their individual earnings over their entire careers, with a prorated benefit based on what they paid into Social Security. Cruz’s amendment also failed.

Unlike Britt and Tuberville, other Republicans like Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-LA, supported the legislation. In explaining his decision to support the bill, Cassidy cited his former high school social studies teacher, Ms. Betty, whose Social Security benefits were greatly reduced when she became a widow due to the public pension equalization.

“When her husband died, her husband was working at (an) Exxon refinery … her Social Security was cut to a fraction because she had worked in the public sector as a teacher,” Cassidy said, explaining that his former teacher would have received better retirement benefits “if she had never worked at all.”

Late. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, the bill’s Democratic sponsor, provided another anecdote about a bus driver for disabled children in Lawrence County, Ohio. Despite providing critical public service for 40 years, her Social Security benefits would be reduced from $2,100 a month to $500 a month under current law.

Edward Kelly, the general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, hailed the bill’s passage as a victory for public employees.

“Congress broke a promise 40 years ago to millions of Americans when it passed the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset,” Kelly said. “Today, U.S. Senators from both parties joined to right that wrong and ensure that retired firefighters and other dedicated public servants receive the Social Security benefits they have paid for and earned.”

President Biden is expected to sign the Social Security Fairness Act into law before he leaves office.