By Riley Board
Portland Press Herald
WASHINGTON — Maine teachers, firefighters and other public sector employees could benefit from a bill that the U.S. Senate advanced on a 73-27 vote Wednesday, signaling that that the legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine could pass before the end of the year.
The Social Security Fairness Act would repeal two policies that reduce Social Security benefits for public employees. One, the Windfall Elimination Provision, prevents public employees with a pension from getting those benefits. The other, called the Government Pension Offset, reduces payments for surviving spouses of recipients who also receive their own government pension. More than 2 million people are affected nationally.
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“According to the Social Security Administration, in November 2024, more than 2 million people, including more than 20,000 in Maine, had their Social Security benefits reduced by the (Windfall Elimination Provision),” Collins said in a statement released by her office. “Similarly, more than 650,000 people were affected by the (Government Pension Offset) in November of 2024, including more than 6000 in Maine .”
The bill passed the House of Representatives last month on a 327-75 vote, and on Wednesday Sen . Majority Leader Chuck Schumer , D- New York , spoke about his desire to get the act to the president’s desk quickly.
“Passing this Social Security fix right before Christmas would be a great gift for our retired firefighters, police officers, postal workers, teachers and others, who for years have contributed to Social Security but are now being penalized because of their time of public service,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
Collins, a Republican, was an early sponsor of the bill, along with Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown. Collins spoke in favor of the legislation Wednesday afternoon on the Senate floor, where she said Maine’s teachers are among the most impacted.
“They have earned these benefits. This is an unfair, inequitable penalty,” Collins said during her remarks.
Critics of the bill say it’s too expensive, putting a strain on an already tight Social Security budget.
The Windfall Elimination Provision was a top concern in a recent report about challenges in Maine’s teacher workforce, which experts describe as a crisis. According to the report, authored by the nonprofit Educate Maine, teachers in every Maine county pointed to the provision as a barrier to attracting new people to the teaching profession.
“This federal policy that reduces social security payout is a disincentive, it prevents career-changers from becoming teachers and hurts teachers who take on additional jobs,” the report finds.
One of those educators is Sharon Gallant, a retired Gardiner teacher of 31 years. Gallant worked in the private sector before becoming a public school teacher, and briefly paid into Social Security during that time.
“You sort of get punished for moving into public education,” she said.
Gallant sent letters to both Collins and Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent, encouraging them to support the legislation. She said if it’s unsuccessful, Maine will continue to struggle with recruiting educators who are put off by the provision.
“If this doesn’t pass, then it’s just another reason not to enter into public service,” she said.
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