With the stroke of a pen, on January 5, 2025, the former President Biden eliminated two unjust penalties that had reduced the Social Security pensions and benefits of 2.8 million retirees for over 40 years. Among these retirees are a considerable number of Polish Americans who experienced severe financial hardship.
President Joe Biden signing HR 82 on Jan. 5, 2025 (Source: Author)
The first penalty, called the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP, unfairly penalizes a retiree who earned a Social Security pension and a second, non-Social Security pension. Public servants, such as teachers, firefighters, police, and other state and local government workers, comprise most of those penalized by the WEP. A separate group, Foreign Pension Recipients, were also penalized. They consist of Americans who worked abroad, earned a foreign pension, and then earned a Social Security pension. They also include foreign nationals who earned a pension in their home country, legally immigrated to the States, and then earned a Social Security pension.
The second penalty, called the Government Pension Offset, or GPO, unfairly reduces the spousal benefit and the survivor benefit of a spouse who earned a non-Social Security pension. If the individual is a wife and the wife’s husband paid into Social Security for years, and they are both living, she receives a reduced spousal benefit. If her husband has died, she receives a reduced survivor benefit. It’s important to note that the GPO does not affect Polish Americans who earned a Polish pension.
Within the Polish American community, the effort to get HR 82 signed into law was led by the Polish American Strategic Initiative (PASI), a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that advocates for the political interests of the Polish American community.
PASI became involved in 2021 during the 117th Congress after Representative Rodney Davis, a Republican from Illinois, introduced HR 82. He remembered that his own teacher was subjected to financial hardship because of the WEP. At that time, PASI joined a loosely-knit, grassroots group that called itself the National WEP/GPO Repeal Task Force and had no formal ties with other organizations. The core PASI team consisted of Dr. Gene Sokolowski, Margaret Ciuraszkiewicz, and Jacek Marczyński.
As time went on, the Task Force grew to include other retiree associations whose members were affected by the WEP and GPO. In addition, the Task Force coordinated its activities with organizations whose members were similarly affected. These included the Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Fire Fighters, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, National Association of Letter Carriers, American Postal Workers Union, California Retired Teachers Association, and others.
Based on guidance and messaging provided by the staff of Representative Davis, PASI and Task Force members conducted wide-ranging communications campaigns that targeted House Members urging them to cosponsor HR 82. Many individuals from the Polish American community took part by sending emails, calling their offices, posting to their Facebook pages, and sending them tweets on Twitter (later called X.) PASI also developed a tool on its website that enabled users to send multiple emails to multiple Representatives with one click.
In the summer of 2022, PASI and the Task Force held a rally on the Capitol Grounds attended by a number of retiree associations as well as members of the Polish American community and the Long Island Division of the Polish American Congress. During this time, PASI created a number of YouTube videos to help educate our community on the WEP and GPO. PASI also held Zoom meetings to further inform community members of the progress of HR 82 in the legislative process.
Unfortunately, 2022 ended in disappointment. HR 82 secured 305 cosponsors, which was more than the 290 needed to have it placed on the House Floor for a vote. However, just before the bill met the required time needed to go forward, which was 25 legislative days, the House Ways and Means Committee pulled the bill and conducted a mark-up session. The only way it could be put back on the House Floor was to initiate a Discharge Petition. Unfortunately, because of COVID, not enough Members were able to be physically present on the House Floor to sign it before the 117th Congress ended.
In 2023, HR 82 was taken up in the 118th Congress by Representatives Garrett Graves, a Republican from Louisiana, and Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat from Virginia. Meanwhile, the Senate companion bill, S 597, had the same text as HR 82, and was sponsored by Senators Sharrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, and Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine. Once again, PASI and Task Force members conducted wide-ranging communications campaigns that targeted House Members urging them to cosponsor HR 82 and also targeted Senate Members to cosponsor S 597. Many individuals from the Polish American community again took part in PASI’s social media campaign.
In September 2023, Representatives Graves and Spanberger held a press conference on HR 82 at the House Triangle podium on the Capitol Grounds, at which Dr. Sokolowski was a speaker advocating for all Foreign Pension Recipients. He was also the Task Force’s lead advocate for all Foreign Pension Recipients, which includes almost 117,000 retirees. He further coordinated communications and messaging strategies with three organizations (American Citizens Abroad, Democrats Abroad, and Association of American Residents Overseas) that represented Americans working or retired abroad who were earning or earned a foreign pension and would be or were subject to the WEP. Representing the concerns of affected Polish Americans, PASI also submitted written comments requested by the Social Security Subcommittee at their November 2023 Hearing on HR 82.
2024 saw momentum for HR 82continually build. PASI and the Task Force continued meeting with the staffers of Representatives Graves and Spanberger, who researched the Members of Congress to target and helped develop applicable messaging. As there were 60 cosponsors for S 597, the companion bill to HR 82, PASI and the Task Force targeted Senators who had not yet cosponsored it. Each month involved an intensive communications campaign directed at both chambers. PASI and Task Force members also attended the June 2024 Hearing by the Social Security Subcommittee on the Social Security Trust Fund. PASI again submitted written comments as requested by the Subcommittee.
A total of 330 cosponsors were finally secured for HR 82 and it appeared that the bill had the votes to pass. However, two members of the Freedom Caucus deviously had the bill tabled. Representatives Graves and Spanberger then initiated a Discharge Petition and PASI and the Task Force launched an immediate communications campaign that helped secure more than the required number of signers. PASI and Task Force members also met with staffers of each Representative to urge them to vote for HR 82.
In November 2024, PASI and Task Force members also met with staffers of the majority of Senators to urge them to vote for HR 82. Dr. Sokolowski was the PASI representative that personally lobbied House and Senate offices. He also represented PASI at a major rally on the Capitol grounds on 11 December, which was streamed live on Facebook and other media. The rally featured many Congressional luminaries, including Senator Schumer, and every one of them committed to vote for HR 82. On 21 December 2024, despite six amendments submitted by Senators Grassley, Cruz, Crapo, and Paul, they were rejected and HR 82 passed with 76 votes.
It is important to note that PASI was assisted by many Polish American individuals who responded to PASI’s requests for action. They participated in email and social media campaigns, included PASI’s requested actions in parish bulletins, wrote press articles for publication, published PASI’s articles, participated in radio broadcasts including Radio Maryja, personally testified before the Connecticut Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee, produced a number of YouTube educational videos on the WEP and GPO, participated in PASI’s educational Zoom meetings on HR 82, provided financial contributions, established an online petition in 12 languages that urged Congress to repeal the WEP and GPO, and engaged in many other actions. In addition, the Polish American Congress Divisions of Long Island, New Jersey, and Missouri contributed to PASI’s efforts by participating in email campaigns that targeted selected Representatives and Senators.
PASI is grateful to everyone in Polonia who contributed in getting HR signed into law. As a result, Polish Americans will no longer see their Social Security pension reduced simply because they earned a Polish pension.
