Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) released a statement following her vote against the Social Security Fairness Act, citing concerns about its financial implications and fairness. The proposed legislation, which failed to pass, aimed to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), longstanding measures that adjust Social Security benefits based on contributions.
“The WEP and GPO are flawed, but the ‘Social Security Fairness Act’ is far from fair, nor is it accurate or fiscally responsible,” Senator Britt stated. “I voted against this roughly $200 billion bill because it would accelerate the insolvency of the Social Security Trust Fund and provide Social Security benefits that were not paid for by the beneficiaries. I was disappointed Senator Cruz’s amendment failed, which would have helped fix WEP in a fairer manner. It is crucial we meet our obligations to the hardworking families and retirees who have paid into Social Security for generations to come.”
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected the bill would cost nearly $200 billion over the next decade and hasten the insolvency of the Social Security Trust Fund by at least six months. By removing WEP and GPO, the legislation would have allowed individuals who contributed to Social Security for only part of their careers to receive benefits equal to those who paid in over their entire working lives. The CBO estimated this change would affect approximately 96% of retirees who consistently paid into Social Security throughout their careers.
Senator Britt supported an alternative proposal from Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), which sought to address concerns with WEP by increasing monthly payments for affected retirees by $100 to $150 and basing benefits on lifetime earnings. The Cruz amendment was designed to preserve the solvency of the Trust Fund while offering proportionate benefits. However, the amendment did not pass.
This vote underscores ongoing debates over the future of Social Security, balancing the need to reform flawed policies with protecting the financial stability of the Trust Fund and ensuring fairness for all contributors.
