From the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE):

The Senate Finance Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy will hold a hearing on the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) on Tuesday, November 6th at 2:30 P.M EST.  Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) is holding the hearing to review current Social Security policies that affect government workers and retirees who participated in a pension system where Social Security taxes were not paid, but who worked also in Social Security covered employment, or had a spouse who did.  Four witnesses have been invited to testify, including three government Social Security experts and one affected teacher from Massachusetts.  NARFE will submit written testimony for the hearing, and has provided Chairman Kerry with information on the how the Offsets negatively impact the federal community for his opening statement.

Each NARFE member should immediately telephone his or her own two Senators to reiterate the case for supporting the GPO-WEP legislation.  NARFE’s preference is the repeal legislation, S. 206 sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) which would eliminate both the GPO and WEP provisions.  NARFE has also pledged support for S. 1254, GPO reform legislation introduced by Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and George Voinovich (R-OH).  NARFE supports modification legislation as a first-step to providing relief.  S. 1254 would eliminate the GPO for individuals whose monthly income is below $1,200.  Use NARFE’s toll-free number to reach the Capitol switchboard and ask for your Senators by name.  The NARFE supported toll-free number is 1-866-220-0044.  (For further information use http://capwiz.com/narfe/issues/bills/?bill=9234416 for current cosponsors of S. 206; http://www.narfe.org/departments/leg/guest/articles.cfm?ID=448 for NARFE position paper and www.senate.gov to find your Senator’s “Web Form.”)

NARFE President, Margaret Baptiste, urges each NARFE member, whether personally impacted or not, to participate in this Legislative Action.  NARFE members should only contact their own two Senators asking for support on the above legislation.  It is EXTREMELY important that the following Senators who serve on the Senate Finance’s Social Security Subcommittee receive a phone call from NARFE members who live in their state: Chairman John Kerry of MA, John Rockefeller of (D-WV), Kent Conrad of (D-ND), and Charles Schumer of (D-NY).  The three Republican Senators on the Subcommittee are: Ranking Member John Ensign of NV, Trent Lott of MS, and Jon Kyl of AZ.