Washington, DC - Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, expressed his gratitude that the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy will be holding a field hearing tomorrow in Columbus, Ohio entitled, “Keeping the Promise of Social Security for Ohio’s First Responders and Public Servants,” which will be focused on the negative impacts that the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension (GPO) have on public employees and their families.

“The FOP is very grateful to Senator Brown, the sponsor of this legislation, for his leadership and hard work on this issue,” Yoes said.  “We have been advocating for the repeal of the WEP and GPO for over two decades, and after two hearings in the House this Congress, I am glad that this issue is receiving the attention it deserves in the Senate.  I am proud that Brian Steel, President of Capital City FOP Lodge #9 in Columbus, is among those who will be testifying in favor of S. 597, the ‘Social Security Fairness Act.’”

The WEP affects workers who spent some time in jobs not covered by Social Security and who also worked other jobs where they paid Social Security taxes long enough to qualify for the benefits. Like the WEP, the GPO may reduce the benefit received by surviving spouses if these spouses also receive a surviving spousal benefit from a public pension.

“The WEP and GPO provisions do not eliminate a windfall for workers—instead it’s a windfall for the government who are keeping money paid into the Social Security system by these dedicated public servants. That’s not right, and it’s not fair,” Yoes said. “It is time that this legislation finally gets a vote on the Senate floor. Passing the Social Security Fairness Act would make a real difference in the lives of our nation’s retired public servants.”

The “Social Security Fairness Act has 320 cosponsors in the House and 56 cosponsors in the Senate, making it one of the most supported bipartisan bills in the 118th Congress.

ALL FOP members, not just those from Ohio, are encouraged to submit their own story about how the WEP/GPO has negatively impacted them and their family.  You can email a single-spaced comment, in Word only, to: Statementsfortherecord@finance.senate.gov. Please include the title and date of the hearing, as well as your full name and address on the first page of the statement. Statements must be received no later than two weeks following the conclusion of the hearing.