Larson Opening Statement at Social Security Subcommittee Hearing on the WEP and the GPO

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

As a former public-school teacher in Connecticut, I understand the frustration that so many have with the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, otherwise known as the WEP/GPO.

I have also heard from many teachers in my district that have been impacted, some of whom are here today.

Across Connecticut, 70,000 employees work in non-covered employment.

The WEP/GPO unfairly penalizes public servants who give so much to their communities.

I am committed to addressing this issue, and we need to repeal WEP and GPO, but we need to pay for it, and my bill, Social Security 2100 does exactly that.

This is also a priority of Representative Neal, the Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee, who has long been an author of legislation to create a new Public Servant Formula to treat those with Social Security and non-Social Security earnings fairly.

The fact this issue is so important underscores how vital Social Security is to the lives of so many Americans.

We are holding a hearing today that affects less than 4% of American retirees, yet we have ignored preserving the program that impacts 100% of retirees, Social Security.

People aren't getting rich off of Social Security - they aren't using their benefit checks to buy stock options.

Social Security is the nation's #1 anti-poverty program for the elderly.

People use their Social Security checks to make ends meet - to pay rent, to buy groceries, to pay bills.

It is a farce that Congress has failed to enhance Social Security benefits in more than 50 years.

But, instead of protecting benefits or enhancing them, Republicans are pushing to cut Social Security benefits.

Republicans today are going to focus on how expensive fixing WEP/GPO would be.

Don't let them fool you - they are not in favor of improving Social Security benefits.

In fact, just a few weeks ago, the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus in the House Republican conference, proposed $1.5 trillion in cuts to Social Security.

And to get it done, they've been pushing a double-secret probation, so-called "fiscal commission."

Commissions are designed to push through unpopular proposals like benefit cuts without accountability for the people that voted for them.

When you hear "commission," you need to hear "cuts, cuts, cuts."

Instead of cutting Social Security, Democrats are working to protect and enhance it.

President Biden called for not only protecting benefits but strengthening them in his State of the Union Address.

And more than 180 House Democrats have cosponsored my bill: the Social Security 2100 Act.

Social Security 2100 will repeal WEP and GPO.

It will also increase benefits across the board for everybody for the first time in more than 50 years!

And it protects Social Security for everybody by paying for it and extending the solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund.

It does this by making the wealthy pay their fair share - it would subject earnings above $400,000 to FICA.

Republicans are for cutting Social Security - Democrats want to protect and enhance it.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

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