The House of Representatives is planning to vote on a bill about Social Security next week. This bill aims to make sure that workers who also receive other pensions can still get their full Social Security benefits. This vote comes after a surprising move by some conservative members of Congress who tried to block the bill.
Despite the setback, members of the House are working quickly to save what started as a bipartisan effort to pass the bill during the current session of Congress.
What Does the Bill Do?
The bill would eliminate something called the “government pension offset.” This rule currently reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive a government pension. Over 300 lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, support the bill.
If the bill passes, it will ensure that those affected by the pension offset can receive their full Social Security benefits.
How Was the Bill Advancing?
To push the bill forward, Representatives Garrett Graves (R-La.) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) used a special process called a discharge petition. They managed to gather the 218 signatures needed to bring the bill out of committee and onto the House floor for a vote.
This move is usually seen as a challenge to House leaders, like the Speaker and Majority Leader, who decide what gets voted on. However, since Graves and Spanberger are not running for reelection, they had less to lose. Plus, Speaker Mike Johnson supported the bill before he became Speaker.
How Did Conservatives Block It?
Two leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus—Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) and former chair Bob Goode (R-Va.)—stepped in when most lawmakers were away for Election Day. During a routine session, they quickly moved to block part of the bill.
The Freedom Caucus generally opposes new spending, and the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would add about $196 billion to the federal deficit over ten years. Representative Graves argued that this amount is what people are currently missing out on without full Social Security benefits.
What Happens Next?
Although the procedural rule for the bill was set back, the bill itself is still expected to move forward, and there could be a House vote as soon as next week. However, it will now need more votes to pass—a supermajority instead of the simple majority that was originally planned.
Who Would Benefit if the Bill Passes?
If the bill is approved, it will remove rules that reduce Social Security benefits for people who receive other types of pensions, such as those from state or local governments.
The bill also aims to eliminate the “windfall elimination provision.” This rule can reduce Social Security benefits for people who receive a pension or disability benefits from jobs that did not pay into Social Security.
If the House passes the bill, it is uncertain if it will have enough support to pass in the Senate. However, the large amount of support in the House suggests it could have a good chance. If it passes both the House and Senate and is signed by President Joe Biden, the changes would take effect for benefits paid after December 2023.