A bill intended to increase benefits for thousands of public sector workers is gaining traction in the Senate, The Hill reported on Saturday.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. announced that he would be bringing the bill to a vote which would give higher Social Security benefits to millions of Americans as the Democrat's majority in the Senate comes to a close.
The bill looks to prevent reductions in benefits for public sector employees by repealing two tax rules known as the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset and would impact roughly 2.8 million people.
“The Senate is going to vote on the Social Security Fairness Act before the end of the year,” he said Thursday, calling the move a chance for senators to “do the right thing for our teachers and nurses and postal workers and law enforcement officers and firefighters.”
The bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support last month, 327-15 and was met with praise from union leaders. “This bipartisan effort shows that we can right the wrongs of the past when we stand together as working people,” stated American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein. “I’m proud of the actions our members took to encourage legislators to move this bill forward.”
Critics have said passage of the bill would add additional strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which were already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. It would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“If that bill passes, it’s going to bring it back six or seven or eight months and when Social Security is running out of money, that’s a very serious thing you have to take into consideration,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa told the outlet.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.