WEP/GPO Bill Advances While Government Shutdown Looms

     The Hill reports that the bill to end the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset passed a crucial vote in the Senate yesterday 73-27. This isn’t final passage but the margin suggests that the bill is likely to pass. It has already been passed the House of Representatives.

    In other legislative news, President-elect Trump seems to be ordering a government shutdown. At least he’s ordering Republican legislators not to vote for the Continuing Resolution they just negotiated with Democrats. The GOP can’t pass the CR without Democratic votes in this Congress and probably not in the next. Most of Social Security will stay open if the shutdown happens beginning December 20 but there would be no money to continue paying salaries for long. I have no idea what the endgame is here. 

     If you voted for Trump, this is the chaos you voted for.

It's OK To Feel Down At Christmas

 

CR Contains Nothing For Social Security

   

  The text of the Continuing Resolution to prevent a government shutdown is out. I see no additional funding for Social Security operations, not that I was expecting any.

WEP/GPO Bill Expected To.Reach Senate Floor Today

      The bill to end the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which has already passed the House of Representatives, is expected to reach the Senate floor today. 

Regulations Advance

     Two non-controversial regulatory packages have moved forward. The Use of Electronic Payroll Data To Improve Program Administration package has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget for publication as final regs. Final rules on Availability of Information and Records to the Public, concerning Freedom of Information Act requests have been published in the Federal Register today.

Merry Christmas

 

Honor For Social Security Foremother

    From a press release:

Today [December 16] President Biden will sign a proclamation establishing the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine, to honor the historic contributions of America’s first woman Cabinet Secretary and the longest-serving Secretary of Labor.

Frances Perkins was the leading architect behind the New Deal and led many labor and economic reforms that continue to benefit Americans today. During her 12 years as Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she envisioned and helped create Social Security ...

    Frances Perkins deserves more credit for the creation of Social Security than anyone else.

Merry Christmas