H.R. 82, The Social Security Fairness Act, has finally reached the magic number of over 290 co-sponsors. The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), if passed into law, would eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset.
The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset are two provisions that unfairly reduce or even eliminate the Social Security benefits of millions of Americans who have devoted their careers to public service, as well as having worked other jobs that withheld payroll taxes from their wages for Social Security benefits.
Per a relatively new House rule, any bill with 290 cosponsors can be added to the House Consensus Calendar (The Consensus Calendar is the go-to place for common sense bipartisan bills to move out of the house closet and be enacted into law). Once on, it is teed up for a vote if it maintains those 290 cosponsors or more for 25 legislative days (that basically means days when the House is in session).
Then, the bill is referred to the Senate, where it usually follows the same route through committees and finally to the floor. This chamber may approve the bill as received, reject it, ignore it or change it. The Senate version of H.R.82, S.1302, has 40 bi-partisan co-sponsor. That’s pretty darn good! If the Senate accepts the bill from the house, or passes its own bill, it’s on to the President.
If the President approves of the legislation, it is signed and becomes law. If the President takes no action for ten legislative days, the bill automatically becomes law. If the President opposes the bill, they may veto the bill. In addition, if no action is taken for 10 days and Congress has already adjourned, there is a "pocket veto".
