Sens. Cruz, Cassidy Introduce Bill to Ensure Equal Treatment of America’s Teachers, First Responders, and Public Servants in Social Security Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Bill Cassidy today introduced the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2020, which ensures America's teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants receive the Social Security benefits according to their work history. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 3934.
Specifically, this bill would replace the unfair formula for calculating benefits - known as the Windfall Elimination Provision - with a fairer formula that allocates benefits based on what workers earned throughout their lifetime. Read the text of the bill here.
"Our communities are made stronger, in large part, because of the dedicated men and women who devote their lives to public service," Sen. Cruz said. "This is especially true in Texas, where more than 189,000 retired public servants and beneficiaries are directly affected by the unfair WEP. It's time these hardworking Americans are treated fairly and receive Social Security benefits they've worked for and deserve. I'm grateful for Sen. Cassidy's support in this effort and look forward to working with Rep. Brady and other members in the House to pass this legislation and send it to President Trump."
"Public servants should not be penalized for dedicating their lives to bettering their communities. This bill is the only WEP bill that can actually pass Congress so that teachers, firefighters, police officers and others can obtain benefits that they have earned," said Dr. Cassidy.
Several organizations support the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act, including:
- Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund
- Association of Texas Professional Educators
- Texas Retired Teachers Association
- National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association
- Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System (LASERS)
Sen. Cruz is leading the fight in the Senate to replace the WEP with a fairer formula. He first introduced the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act in 2018.
Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz and Rep. Brady wrote an op-ed for the Dallas Morning News, where they wrote:
"We are grateful for those who devote their careers to our classrooms and communities in Texas and across the country, and we are proud to support our hard-working teachers, first responders, law enforcement, and all other public servants. These fellow Texans stand up for us every day - the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act is our chance to stand up for them."
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