New social security legislation led by Democrat Senator Sherrie Brown (D-OH) has been supported by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL).
The bill, which is cosponsored by over half of the entire Senate, expands social security benefits for certain public sector employees.
Currently, public sector workers whose employers do not withhold Social Security from their salary have their retirement benefits slashed.
Thanks to laws passed in the early 1980s, ‘windfall’ and ‘government pension offset’ provisions reduce such public workers’ retirement benefits by over two thirds.
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the reductions were enacted to ensure non-tax paying government employees receive proportionately equal benefits to tax-paying private sector employees.
If Senator Brown’s bill passes, non-tax paying public employees could receive proportionately more benefits than private sector employees.
Senator Scott defended his support for the bill, however, by claiming public sector employees deserve the increased social security benefits.
“Our public sector employees do so much to ensure that Florida is the best state to live, work and raise a family, and they are entitled to the Social Security benefits they have paid into and earned,” said Scott.
Our public sector employees do so much to ensure that Florida is the best state to live, work and raise a family, and they are entitled to the Social Security benefits they have paid into and earned.
I'll ALWAYS fight to make that happen ⬇️https://t.co/EeUeBHWah3
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) August 12, 2024
Senator Brown recently called on Senate leadership to forward his bill onto the senate floor for a vote.
In a letter addressed to leadership, Brown alleged that “millions of public servants find that their Social Security benefits are cut through no fault of their own.”
Therefore, continued Brown, leadership ought to place his bill on the Senate floor “as soon as possible.”
