Washington, D.C.  — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after passage of H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, legislation repealing Social Security’s Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), two provisions that can reduce the benefits of certain workers who also receive a pension based on earnings that were exempt from Social Security payroll taxes:

“Social Security is one of the most important programs in the United States and is a vital source of income for many citizens of Arizona.

As a cosponsor of H.R. 82, I am very pleased that Congress finally repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) which have unfairly penalized thousands of Arizonans who have worked tirelessly their entire lives.

This nonsense policy punishes hard work and prudent planning.  If you paid into Social Security, the government should not punish you and take your hard-earned benefits just because you’re a firefighter, police officer or a teacher,” stated Congressman Gosar.