Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is a co-sponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM
Rhode Island’s Congressional Delegation attended a celebration on Monday at National Education Association Rhode Island’s headquarters for the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, which President Biden signed into law last month. However, the delegation is now calling on President Trump to expedite implementation of the new law, which is now bogged down with delays.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, have joined with union officials to call on the Trump administration to swiftly implement the new law that increases Social Security benefits for 3 million public service retirees who draw public pensions. All four members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act.
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The new bill will boost Social Security retirement payments for former police officers, firefighters and teachers, which critics warned will further weaken the program's finances. However, as SSA announced last week, those beneficiaries may have to wait a little longer than expected for those higher payments, as SSA expects that it could take “more than one year to adjust benefits and pay all retroactive benefit.”
SSA further explained: “SSA's ability to implement the law in a timely manner and without negatively affecting day-to-day customer service relies on funding. The Act did not provide money to implement the law.” The law will cost more than $195 billion over 10 years, while accelerating the insolvency of Social Security trust funds that are already projected to be depleted by 2035.
“Thousands of hardworking Rhode Islanders who have dedicated their lives to serving our communities deserve the reassurance that they won’t be short-changed on their Social Security benefits. That’s why I worked for years with my colleagues to pass this legislation and ensure that millions of teachers, postal workers, firefighters, police officers, and other dedicated civil servants get the benefits they have earned …,” said Sen. Reed.
“It is imperative that the Trump Administration acts urgently to implement this law … I’m committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security to ensure all Americans are able to retire with the dignity and financial security they have earned.”
“We worked for years to pass this law to finally increase Social Security benefits for retired teachers, police officers, and firefighters across Rhode Island,” said Sen. Whitehouse, a founding member of the Expand Social Security Caucus and a longtime cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act.
“This change will strengthen the middle class, and we are going to keep after the Trump administration to swiftly implement it. I will continue doing everything in my power to protect and expand the benefits seniors have earned over a lifetime of hard work.”
“For too long, public servants—teachers, firefighters, and police officers—have been unfairly shortchanged on the Social Security benefits they have rightfully earned,” said Congressmen Magaziner. “With the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, we’ve corrected this injustice and delivered long-overdue relief to thousands of Rhode Islanders.”
“The Social Security Fairness Act is a critical new law that expands earned benefits for Rhode Islanders for the first time in over 20 years,” said Congressman Amo. “It fixes an oversight where public employees — including teachers, firefighters, and police officers — paid into Social Security but received far less than what they planned for in retirement. I promised to work to get it across the finish line upon arriving in the House.”
Related: Social Security Fairness Act’s boosted payments to 3M public employees ‘could take more than 1 year’
The new law will eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision, enacted in 1983, which reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who receive government pensions not covered by Social Security. It will also repeal the Government Pension Offset, enacted in 1977, which reduces benefits for spouses, widows and widowers whose spouses receive public sector pensions.
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Lynn Cavanaugh
Lynn Varacalli Cavanaugh is Senior Editor, Retirement at BenefitsPRO. Prior, she was editor-in-chief of the What's New in Benefits & Compensation newsletter. She has worked for major firms in the employee benefits space, Vanguard and Willis Towers Watson, as well as top media companies, including Condé Nast and American Media.
