Education Insider
Education Insider
A weekly review of progress on the Quality Public Schools Agenda and other legislation that impacts our students, classrooms, and public education.
February 13, 2004
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This week: Social Security Offsets in the News
Moving Repeal to the Floor
The NEA hard-fought campaign for full repeal of the unfair Social Security Offsets
- the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)
is entering a new phase: forcing a vote on H.R. 594, the McKeon-Berman bill
for full repeal.
GPO/WEP activists' hard work pays off
H.R. 594 now has 287 cosponsors [Latest Additions: Simpson (R-ID), Pryce (R-OH),
and Hart (R-PA)] - a super-majority. And Members of Congress are under growing
pressure from their constituents (you!!) to act.
Recent Events - Yards Gained!
Forcing the Issue to the Floor - This week, Texas Representative Martin Frost tried to bring offset repeal to the floor by amending the Social Security Protection Act (H.R. 743) before the House. The Frost Amendment would have stripped from the bill the NEA-opposed language on the 'one-day rule' (the so-called 'loophole') and added the McKeon-Berman full repeal language.
Under House procedures, the House voted first on whether to consider H.R. 743 WITHOUT amendments. NEA urged Representatives to vote NO in order to allow Representative Frost to introduce his amendment.
After a heated debate, the House voted 226-197 to consider the bill WITHOUT
amendments, blocking Representative Frost's efforts. [See
how your representative voted.]
But member activists' hard work was not in vain.
Leveraging Committee Support - Chairman Shaw Commits!
House repeal bill sponsors McKeon and Berman now report that House Social Security
Subcommittee Chairman Shaw will move GPO/WEP legislation out of committee this
year.
What You Can Do:
Is your Member of Congress a cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act? Check the NEA website at http://www.nea.org/lac/socsec to find out. Urge members who are not cosponsors to add their names to the bill. Thank the cosponsors and ask their help in making the bill a priority. You can e-mail your Senators and Representatives directly from the site and urge them to support full repeal of the GPO and WEP.
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Government Relations
202-822-7300
http://www.nea.org/lac
1201 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
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