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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Social Security Fairness Act of 2003 was
3 introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives on February
4 5, 2003 as H.R. 594 and into the U.S. Senate on February 11,
5 2003 as S. 439; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The Social Security Fairness Act of 2003 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
 
20     WHEREAS, According to the Social Security Administration's
21 actuaries, the long-term cost of eliminating both of these
22 provisions is negligible while the loss of income to affected
23 employees caused by these provisions forces some civil servants
24 into poverty; and
 
25     WHEREAS, These provisions discriminate against teachers,
26 police, firefighters, social workers, and other civil
27 servants; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The State and national shortage of teachers,
2 police officers, and firefighters is exacerbated by these
3 provisions because they discourage people from entering and
4 staying in these professions; therefore, be it
 
5     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
6 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the U.S.
7 Congress to pass the Social Security Fairness Act of 2003 or
8 other legislation that eliminates both the Government Pension
9 Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision; and be it
10 further
 
11     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
12 delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the
13 Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each member
14 of the Illinois Congressional delegation.