{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-bill-to-repeal-wep-gpo-after-cassidy-successfully-pushes-for-vote/", "Senate Passes Bill to Repeal WEP & GPO After Cassidy Successfully Pushes for Vote", "2024-12-21", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "LA", "Bill Cassidy", "C001075", "www.cassidy.senate.gov", "cassidy", "https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) celebrated the passage of his bill to fully repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) following his months-long effort to secure a vote. The Social Security Fairness Act, which passed by a vote of 76 to 20, ensures public sector workers and their families can receive full Social Security benefits by repealing the two unfair penalties that reduced benefits for nearly 3 million Americans. The bill now heads to the president\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cToday is a day to celebrate! State and local workers in Louisiana deserve the full Social Security benefits they\u2019ve earned. Now they will get it,\u201d said Dr. Cassidy. \u201cThis was a long overdue step. Now we must save Social Security from insolvency in nine years for every American.\u201d\n\nWEP was enacted in 1983 and reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government for employment not covered by Social Security. GPO was enacted in 1977 and reduces Social Security spousal benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers whose spouses receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government. Together, these provisions reduce Social Security benefits for nearly 3 million Americans\u2014including many teachers and police officers.\n\nCassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor tonight ahead of the final vote to pass the Social Security Fairness Act. He also spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday as the Senate cleared the first procedural vote on the bill by a tally of 73-27.\n\nBackground\n\nCassidy has repeatedly demanded a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. In July and again earlier this month, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to repeal WEP and GPO as part of his \u201cBig Idea\u201d to save, strengthen, and secure America\u2019s retirement system. In June, Cassidy entered a statement into the record urging the repeal of WEP and GPO ahead of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee field hearing on Social Security.\n\nCassidy is a long-time cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, being an original cosponsor since he became a Member of Congress in 2009. He led the introduction of the legislation in the 117th and 116th Congress.\n\nCassidy led a bipartisan working group to preserve and protect Social Security. Last spring, he released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his \u201cBig Idea.\u201d\n\nIn March, Cassidy grilled U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on President Biden\u2019s plan to address Social Security, to which Secretary Yellen admitted \u201cthe president doesn\u2019t have a plan,\u201d to save Social Security.\n\nCassidy has discussed the \u201cBig Idea\u201d at a public forum with AARP on the future of Social Security, outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the National Review and Washington Examiner in October, the Wall Street Journal in March, and State Affairs, and Washington Post in May.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-bill-to-repeal-wep-gpo-after-cassidy-successfully-pushes-for-vote/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4921617694199085, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}