US Senate holding WEP/GPO hearing today

Today, the US Senate will hold a field hearing in Columbus, Ohio, focusing on the unfairness and financial hardship placed on public retirees due to the Social Security WEP & GPO laws. The hearing will be led by US Senator Sherrod Brown, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy. The hearing, which will not be broadcast online, begins at 10AM at the Columbus Firefighters IAFF Local 67 Union Hall, 379 West Broad Street, Columbus, OH. Like Massachusetts, most of Ohio’s public retirees are impacted by WEP/GPO.
The Ohio hearing marks the third Congressional hearing focused on WEP/GPO since last November and the first Senate hearing on the topics in more than a decade. While we would prefer for both the House and Senate to advance a bill to the floor of both chambers for a vote, today’s hearing is further evidence that the voices of the 2.1 million retirees currently harmed by these unfair federal laws are being heard.
Like the House field hearing held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in November, the Columbus hearing will focus on state and local retirees harmed by WEP/GPO. In addition to hearing directly from the seven Ohio witnesses invited to testify today, the Subcommittee has also requested the submission of written testimony from all retirees harmed by WEP/GPO, as well as those active employees who may someday be impacted once they retire.
The following information is directly from the Senate Committee on Finance:
How do I submit a statement for the record?
Any individual or organization wanting to present their views for inclusion in the hearing record should submit in a Word document, a single-spaced statement, not exceeding 10 pages in length. No other file type will be accepted for inclusion. Title and date of the hearing, and the full name and address of the individual or organization must appear on the first page of the statement. Statements must be received no later than two weeks following the conclusion of the hearing.
Statements can be emailed to:
[e-mail]
Statements should be mailed (not faxed) to:
Senate Committee on Finance
Attn. Editorial and Document Section
Rm. SD-219
Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510-6200
Mass Retirees would like to note that testimony submitted anonymously and/or not adhering to the instructions above, will not be accepted.