President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law on January 5. The legislation aims to increase benefits for approximately 3 million Americans who worked in public service, including teachers, nurses, and other government employees, as well as their spouses and survivors.
At the heart of the bill is the repeal of two provisions—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)—that have long limited benefits for public sector employees receiving pensions separate from Social Security.
Supporters argue that these provisions unfairly penalized workers in certain public jobs, with nearly 2.9 million Americans impacted, according to estimates from the Congressional Research Service.
During the signing, Biden touted the bill as a step forward in his administration’s commitment to strengthening Social Security, claiming it makes him “the first president in twenty years to expand Social Security benefits.”
The law’s passage marked a rare instance of bipartisan agreement, passing the House in a 327–75 vote and the Senate 76–20. Even some traditionally fiscally conservative Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure.
While the law provides a financial boost for affected workers, critics warn it comes at a high price. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that eliminating the WEP and GPO will increase federal Social Security expenditures by providing back pay from January 2024 and boosting monthly benefits by as much as $700 for some recipients by December 2025.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, estimates the legislation will add $195 billion to federal spending over the next decade, accelerating the insolvency of the Social Security Trust Funds, already under strain.
Social Security, currently projected to deplete its trust funds by 2033, is expected to see this deadline move up by about six months due to the added financial burden of the new law. Critics argue that this exacerbates a long-standing issue, as the program has been on a trajectory toward insolvency for over a decade.
Opponents of the bill also raise fairness concerns, noting that many of the affected workers did not pay Social Security taxes on their government pensions. Providing these workers with full Social Security benefits, they argue, creates an inequitable system that places additional strain on taxpayers who contributed fully to the program.
Despite these concerns, Biden and other advocates see the legislation as a fulfillment of their commitment to Social Security’s long-term strength. The president has framed the law as a necessary step to ensure fairness for public servants, aligning with broader bipartisan support for preserving Social Security benefits without raising the retirement age.
However, with trust fund insolvency looming and no clear solutions in sight, the debate over Social Security reform is far from over. Conservatives warn that without addressing the system’s structural issues, efforts like the Social Security Fairness Act may offer temporary relief at the cost of long-term stability.