Congressman Pat Tiberi signs on to repeal GPO/WEP

Congressman Pat Tiberi to Linda Meinelt
Date: Friday, January 30, 2009

Dear Ms. Meinelt,

Thank you for your communication regarding the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision. I appreciate this opportunity to correspond with you.

After many discussions with residents of the 12th Congressional District, I became aware of the effect the government pension offset (GPO) and windfall elimination provision (WEP) have on many of my constituents. Indeed, the current procedure for calculating the offset may produce unintended consequences, particularly for low-income public service employees. Additionally, those affected are often unprepared for a smaller Social Security benefit than they assumed when making retirement plans.

As you may know, H.R. 235, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 would repeal the Government Pension Offset and windfall elimination provisions. This legislation was introduced by Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) on January 7, 2009 and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. You will be happy to know that I have agreed to add my name as a co-sponsor to H.R. 235.

Thanks again for taking a moment to share your views with me. Please don't hesitate to contact me if I may be of additional assistance.

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Tiberi
Representative to Congress