NOVEMBER 14, 2007
Dear Colleagues,
Here is the latest news on the provisions of Social Security Law known
as the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision
(GPO/WEP). Also, my SAC column in the next issue of the MCCC News will
focus on the November 6th Finance Committee Hearing and the related
lobbying done by your MTA activists. In attendance from this state were
Peggy Kane, Jo Ann Fitzgerald, Nancy Mickunas, and Donnie McGee.
GPO/WEP News - An excellent Senate hearing:
More than 60 NEA activists from more than 15 states converged on our
nation's capital to attend the Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing on
the impact of GP0/WEP policies on Social Security. Sen. John Kerry, who
chaired this hearing, pledged to work for the repeal of these often
punitive provisions. Excellent testimony was provided by MTA retired
English teacher, Peggy Kane, a widow whose family was unable to collect
a penny of her husband's 30+ years of Social Security earnings when he
died at age 53. Senator Susan Collins from Maine also testified
eloquently to the injustice that these provisions create for people in
retirement. Collins and Sen. Dianne Feinstein from California
co-sponsored the Senate version of the Social Security Fairness Act of
2007.
Petitions and MCCC Testimony:
More than 200,000 names on petitions from many of the 15 non-social
security states affected by these policies were delivered to the press
conference and hearing room. The MTA has collected more than 50,000
names. Half of these petitions have been reserved for presentation at a
hearing to be held by the House Ways & Means Committee early next
spring. I presented to Massachusetts Congressional leaders a booklet of
personal GPO/WEP impact statements from MCCC faculty and professional
staff. I have revised this compilation of stories this past weekend to
include all who emailed me after I left for DC. This final version will
be submitted as formal testimony to Chair John Kerry and the Finance
Subcommittee on Social Security later this week.
What can you do? Contact Senators.
- Anyone affected should be involved with this lobbying, regardless of the state where you reside.
- Please
contact your United States Senators. If you are from Massachusetts, you
would be calling and emailing Senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy.
- The
message for Senator Kerry is, first and foremost, a tremendous thank
you for holding the hearing and bringing attention to this important
legislation. Second, let him/his staff know that you would like a "mark
up" of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2007 (Senate Bill 206). This
means that you want the Senate Finance Committee to release the bill
favorably, so that it can be moved forward as quickly as possible and
get to the full Senate floor for a vote.
- With other
Senators, like those from Maine and Rhode Island and with Senator
Kennedy, thank them for their past support. Then ask them to contact
Senator Kerry, Chair of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Social
Security, to request a "mark up" of the bill. Maine residents need to
thank Senator Susan Collins for sponsoring the bill and for her
impressive testimony at the hearing on Nov. 6th. Also, ask about
marking up the bill and moving it along in the legislative process.
- In your
discussions/messages to Senators or their staff, if you have an
important statement of how the bill would impact you, share it.
- Be concise and respectful.
What's next?
- House Hearing:
House Ways and Means Chair, Congressman Charles Rangel, has indicated a
hearing will be held on the Social Security Fairness Act by the
Subcommittee on Social Security. An early spring date is expected for
this hearing, though it has not yet been scheduled.
- Petition Initiative:
Names are still being collected on petitions to support the forthcoming
hearing by the House Ways and Means Subcommittee, so please continue to
fill petitions with signatures. Any MA resident who is a registered
voter is eligible to sign on to support this important legislation to
repeal these unfair offsets. If you will be affected by GPO/WEP and
have not completed any petitions, please download one from the MTA
website and get at least 10 signatures from your friends, neighbors,
relatives, and/or co-workers. Go to the MTA website to download a
petition, and return it/them to Paul Toner as indicated: http://www.massteacher.org/news/headlines/sspetition.pdf
- NEA Electronic Petition:
If you live outside the state, please sign on to the NEA electronic
petition to support the Social Security Fairness Act. You can also send
a message to your Senator or Congressional Representative through this
website: http://capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=10186961
- NEA Northeast Regional Conference:
This conference will be held in Brooklyn, NY and representatives from
the New England states and several others will attend. I will be among
those in attendance, for the key purpose of uniting attendees to
support GPO/WEP and get support for the House Ways and Means
Subcommittee Hearing on the related bill. The Chair of this
Subcommittee is Rep. McNulty from New York. New York is a "Social
Security state", so its teachers and others are not directly affected
by GPO/WEP provisions. I hope to get our NEA colleagues in NY to push
their Congressmen and Senators, including Hilary Clinton, to support
the repeal of GPO/WEP.
Note: It was truly exciting to be part of this NEA activism and
represent the MTA and the MCCC in this push for fairness in retirement
for all of us. Thanks to everyone who shared a GPO/WEP impact statement
or story. Each one communicated powerful and important points. I will
provide a copy of my written testimony (a compilation of these
statements) on behalf of MCCC to each chapter at our next Board of
Directors Meeting on November 30. I was so inspired by the Senate
leadership at this testimony and thrilled to see the profile raised on
the unfairness of GPO/WEP. Please stay involved and do what you
can to keep this legislation moving forward.
If you have further questions about this legislation and/or want to
subscribe to the GPO/WEP email news, please go to the MTA website: http://www.massteacher.org/career/retired/gpopoints.cfm
As always, thank you for your support.
Donnie McGee
Diana (Donnie) McGee
MCCC Vice President & SAC Chair
Email: 