By: Neave H.C.R. No. 100
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Tens of millions of American workers and their
families count on Social Security to provide a reliable minimum
income in their retirement; and
WHEREAS, Almost 50 percent of married couples and 75 percent
of unmarried persons age 65 and older depend on Social Security for
more than half of their total retirement income, and nearly a
quarter of the married couples and almost half of the unmarried
persons receive 90 percent or more of their income from the program;
and
WHEREAS, The Government Pension Offset (GPO), enacted in
1977, and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), enacted in
1983, severely and unfairly penalize recipients of public pensions;
and
WHEREAS, The GPO effectively prohibits some retirees from
collecting both their own pension and full social security benefits
as a surviving spouse; an estimated 9 out of 10 public employees
affected by the GPO lose their entire spousal benefit, even though
their spouses paid social security taxes for many years; and
WHEREAS, The WEP, which affects benefits paid under Title II
of the Social Security Act, lowers Social Security benefits for
employees with public pensions, including teachers, law
enforcement officers, and firefighters, as well as for their
spouses and children, and can deprive a retiree of more than $425 a
month in social security benefits duly earned by that individual;
and
WHEREAS, These provisions in practice have had devastating
consequences for employees who worked for many years as public
servants including teachers, police officers, firefighters, and
other public servants; almost two million employees and retirees
are affected by either the GPO or the WEP or both; and
WHEREAS, The GPO and WEP as applied to public employees cause
tens of thousands of Texas retirees to experience a diminished
quality of life or be forced to return to work to make up for the
effects of these provisions; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to
repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination
Provision of the Social Security Act; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.