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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 was
3 introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives on January 7,
4 2009 as H.R. 235 and into the U.S. Senate on February 25, 2009
5 as S. 484; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The Social Security Fairness Act of 2009 amends
7 Title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the Government
8 Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The Government Pension Offset was enacted in 1977
10 and the Windfall Elimination Provision was enacted in 1983; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The majority of public employees affected by the
12 Government Pension Offset lost their entire spousal benefit
13 despite the fact that their spouses paid Social Security
14 contributions for many years; and
 
15     WHEREAS, An affected public employee loses an average of
16 $3,000 per year because of the Government Pension Offset; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The Windfall Elimination Provision causes public
18 employees to lose up to 60% of the benefits that they earned;
19 and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, According to the Social Security Administration's
2 actuaries, the long-term cost of eliminating both of these
3 provisions is negligible while the loss of income to affected
4 employees caused by these provisions forces some civil servants
5 into poverty; and
 
6     WHEREAS, These provisions discriminate against teachers,
7 police, firefighters, social workers, and other civil
8 servants; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The State and national shortage of teachers,
10 police officers, and firefighters is exacerbated by these
11 provisions because they discourage people from entering and
12 staying in these professions; therefore, be it
 
13     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
15 urge the U.S. Congress to pass the Social Security Fairness Act
16 of 2009 or other legislation that eliminates both the
17 Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination
18 Provision; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
20 delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the
21 Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each member
22 of the Illinois Congressional delegation.