Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) said Wednesday he is “doing everything he can” to try to pass legislation that would pass another Social Security before Congress introduces a new class next month.
Schumer said at the meeting that the Senate “will take action on Social Security,” telling members of the coalition, “you will see which senators are with you and which are with you.” [against] you.”
“I got all my Democrats standing to support. I want you to work. We need 15 Republicans. Let’s get them. We will vote,” he continued.
The Democratic leader also tweeted support for the legislation, called the Social Security Fairness Act, later Wednesday.
“In America, there is a guarantee that if you work hard all your life, play by the rules and give every year, then you deserve to go on strike! That’s why I’m doing everything I can to pass the Social Security Fairness Act,” he wrote on social platform X. “And the Senate GOP needs to join us.”
The Hill reached out to Schumer’s office to get a timeline on when or how Congress would take action on the measure.
Its supporters expressed confidence that the bill, which passed the House with overwhelming support last week, would pass the Senate with bipartisan support.
But Congress is at a critical juncture as it looks down on December 20 to avoid a government shutdown. The Hill asked Schumer’s office if the plan is to attach the bill to the proposed stopgap payments that leaders are preparing to address next week.
If passed, the bill would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) – laws that supporters say have resulted in reduced benefits for some government workers.
However, experts say the tax laws are aimed at preventing people who have worked most of their careers in the government from collecting their pensions and paying more for Social Security. The GPO also administers reduced benefits for spouses who receive a state pension.
Some conservatives have also raised concerns about the estimated cost of the law. The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this year that the bill could cost more than $190 billion over 10 years.
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