Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Announcing Senate Floor Vote To Advance The Bipartisan House-Passed Social Security Fairness Act

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on filing cloture on the motion to proceed to the House-passed Social Security Fairness Act, setting up a vote next week. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Today I filed cloture on the Social Security Fairness Act, a strongly bipartisan bill – already approved by the Republican House – that would ensure Americans are not erroneously denied their well-earned Social Security benefits, simply because they chose at some point to work in their careers in public service. I’m talking about public servants like firefighters, teachers, postal workers, policemen, and so many other jobs like that.

The Senate is going to vote on the Social Security Fairness Act before the end of the year. This is a chance for Senators to do the right thing for our teachers and nurses and postal workers and law enforcement officers and firefighters. And they will certainly be watching what we do with their retirement benefits.

I am proud to co-sponsor this bill with my good friend Senator Brown, and Democrats are ready to act on this much-needed fix for millions of retirees.

This bill already passed in the House with a huge bipartisan majority – the Senate should follow suit. Americans deserve to see which side the Senators are on when it comes to securing their well-earned retirement benefits.

For too many retirees – millions and millions – have been robbed of their hard-earned benefits because of WEP and GPO. Passing the Social Security Fairness Act is our best shot at fixing this problem and helping out working families.

And the Senate will get the chance to pass this important bill with a vote here on the floor next week.

###