Published on 09/20/2009

Barry Newson contacted Senator Cantwell's office about the Windfall Tax. She replied and we are providing a copy of that reply here. It seems to me that everybody should write to her just to let her know that we expect this bill to get out of committee and passed. It has been in committee for several years now and gets renewed every year but never seems to get out of committee. I don't know if it is intended to get out of committee or if the bill is just there to appease us.

Dear Mrs. Newsom,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 484). I appreciate hearing from you on this issue and sincerely regret the delayed response.

As you may be aware, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) was enacted in 1983 as part of a large reform package designed to shore up the financing of the Social Security system. The windfall benefit provision reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also receive pension benefits from other employment not covered by Social Security, such as the Federal Civil Retirement System. Public employees often have salaries that are lower than those in the private sector, and the windfall reduction makes it more difficult to recruit employees into these positions. The WEP threatens the financial viability of public-employee retirees and their spouses.

You may be pleased to learn that I am a cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 484), which was introduced on February 25, 2009. If enacted, this bill would eliminate the WEP and allow qualified government workers to receive the full benefits they deserve. This bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, of which I am a member, for further review. Please be assured that I will continue to work with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates for Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

For future correspondence with my office, please visit my website at
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html