Schumer says Senate will vote on Social Security changes

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday he’s “doing everything” he can to try to pass legislation that would enact some Social Security before Congress ushers in a new class next month.

Schumer said at a rally the Senate “is going to take action on the Social Security,” telling union members, “you’re going to find out which senators are with you and which are [against] you.”

“I got all my Democrats lined up to support it. I want you to work. We need 15 Republicans. Let’s get them. We’re going to have the vote,” he continued.

The Democratic leader also posted online to support the legislation, dubbed the Social Security Fairness Act, later on Wednesday.

“In America, there’s a basic promise that if you work hard all your life, play by the rules and contribute year after year, then you deserve a secure retirement! That’s why I am doing everything I can to pass the Social Security Fairness Act,” he wrote on the social platform X. “And the Senate GOP needs to join us.”

The Hill has reached out to Schumer's office for a potential timeline as to when Congress would take action on the measure or how.

Its supporters have expressed confidence that the bill, which passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support weeks back, would sail through the Senate with bipartisan support.

But Congress is on a tight time crunch as it stares down a Dec. 20 cutoff date to prevent a government shutdown. The Hill asked Schumer’s office whether the plan is to attach the bill to the expected stopgap funding bill that leaders are crafting to address next week’s deadline.

If passed, the bill would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) — rules that backers say have led to unfair reductions in benefits for some who have worked in public service.

However, experts say the tax rules are aimed at preventing people who have worked much of their careers in public service from collecting both their pensions and relatively higher Social Security payouts. The GPO also leads to reductions in benefits for the spouses that receive government pensions.

Some conservatives have also raised concerns about the projected cost of the legislation. The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this year that the bill could cost upward of $190 billion over a decade.

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