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Social Security Fairness Act of 2023

Public Law 118-273 · H.R. 82 · 118th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Jan 5, 2025 · Social Welfare

Major law

Sponsor: Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA-6)

Cosponsors (330): Rep. Abigail Spanberger,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 327 yea, 75 nay327–75
  • SenateRecorded vote: 76 yea, 20 nay76–20
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This act repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government.

The act eliminates the government pension offset, which in various instances reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own.

The act also eliminates the windfall elimination provision, which in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes.

These changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2023.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 118th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 327 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

327 yea75 nay30 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(191)

Republicans who voted yea(136)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1174 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

4 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 4583Related bill

    Social Security 2100 Act

  • H.Res. 1410Related bill

    Providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 82) to amend title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the Government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions.

  • S. 597Related bill

    Social Security Fairness Act

  • S. 2280Related bill

    Social Security 2100 Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 34 actions.

  1. Jan 5, 2025Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-273.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 27, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 21, 2024FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. FloorFloor · Cloture motion on the measure rendered moot in Senate.
  6. FloorFloor · Passed Senate, under the order of 12/20/2024, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 76 - 20. Record Vote Number: 338.Senate roll call 338
  7. FloorFloor · Motion by Senator Schumer to commit to Senate Committee on Finance with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 3357) withdrawn in Senate.
  8. FloorFloor · Motion to waive all applicable budgetary discipline with respect to the measure agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 66 - 30. Record Vote Number: 337.Senate roll call 337
  9. FloorFloor · Point of order that the measure violates section 311(a)(3) of the Congressional Budget Act raised in Senate.
  10. Dec 20, 2024FloorFloor · Motion by Senator Schumer to commit to Senate Committee on Finance with instructions to report back forthwith with the following amendment (SA 3357) made in Senate.
  11. FloorFloor · Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate. (CR S7286)
  12. FloorFloor · Considered by Senate.
  13. Dec 19, 2024FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by motion.
  14. FloorFloor · Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 73 - 23. Record Vote Number: 328.Senate roll call 328
  15. FloorFloor · Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S7217)
  16. Dec 18, 2024FloorFloor · Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 73 - 27. Record Vote Number: 326.Senate roll call 326
  17. FloorFloor · Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (CR S7131)
  18. Dec 17, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Social Security.
  19. Dec 12, 2024FloorFloor · Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate. (CR S6980)
  20. FloorFloor · Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (CR S6980)
  21. Dec 11, 2024CalendarCalendar · Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 693.
  22. Dec 10, 2024CalendarCalendar · Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
  23. Nov 19, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate.
  24. Nov 12, 2024FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  25. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 327 - 75, 1 Present (Roll no. 456).House roll call 456
  26. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  27. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  28. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 82.
  29. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  30. FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

14 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

Where each amendment ended up

  • S.Amdt. 3361SenateSen. Jeff MerkleyD-OR· offered Dec 20, 2024No vote recorded

    Dec 20, 2024: Senate amendment submitted

    Offered, no vote recorded

  • S.Amdt. 3360SenateSen. Ted CruzR-TX· offered Dec 20, 2024Rejected

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 20, 2024: Amendment SA 3360, under the order of 12/20/2024, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 32 - 64. Record Vote Number: 335.

    Rejected

  • S.Amdt. 3359SenateSen. Chuck SchumerD-NY· offered Dec 20, 2024Fell

    To add an effective date.

    Dec 21, 2024: SA 3359 fell when SA SA 3358 fell.

    Fell

  • S.Amdt. 3358SenateSen. Chuck SchumerD-NY· offered Dec 20, 2024Fell

    To add an effective date.

    Dec 21, 2024: SA 3358 fell when SA SA 3357 withdrawn.

    Fell

  • S.Amdt. 3357SenateSen. Chuck SchumerD-NY· offered Dec 20, 2024Withdrawn

    To add an effective date.

    Dec 21, 2024: Proposed amendment SA 3357 withdrawn in Senate.

    Withdrawn

  • S.Amdt. 3356SenateSen. Chuck SchumerD-NY· offered Dec 20, 2024Fell

    To add an effective date.

    Dec 21, 2024: SA 3356 fell when SA SA 3355 withdrawn.

    Fell

  • S.Amdt. 3355SenateSen. Chuck SchumerD-NY· offered Dec 20, 2024Withdrawn

    To add an effective date.

    Dec 21, 2024: Proposed amendment SA 3355 withdrawn in Senate.

    Withdrawn

  • S.Amdt. 3352SenateSen. Rand PaulR-KY· offered Dec 20, 2024Rejected

    To provide for automatic continuing resolutions.

    Dec 20, 2024: Amendment SA 3352, under the order of 12/20/2024, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 28 - 67. Record Vote Number: 334.

    Rejected

  • S.Amdt. 3348SenateSen. Rand PaulR-KY· offered Dec 19, 2024No vote recorded

    Dec 19, 2024: Senate amendment submitted

    Offered, no vote recorded

  • S.Amdt. 3347SenateSen. Rand PaulR-KY· offered Dec 19, 2024No vote recorded

    Dec 19, 2024: Senate amendment submitted

    Offered, no vote recorded

  • S.Amdt. 3346SenateSen. Rand PaulR-KY· offered Dec 19, 2024Rejected

    To adjust the normal and early retirement ages for Social Security benefits and increase the maximum age for delayed retirement credits.

    Dec 20, 2024: Amendment SA 3346, under the order of 12/20/2024, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 3 - 93. Record Vote Number: 333.

    Rejected

  • S.Amdt. 3336SenateSen. Ted CruzR-TX· offered Dec 17, 2024No vote recorded

    Dec 17, 2024: Senate amendment submitted

    Offered, no vote recorded

  • S.Amdt. 3335SenateSen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA· offered Dec 17, 2024No vote recorded

    Dec 17, 2024: Senate amendment submitted

    Offered, no vote recorded

  • S.Amdt. 3331SenateSen. Mike CrapoR-ID· offered Dec 16, 2024Rejected

    To delay the repeal of the Government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions until additional changes are made to offset any negative impacts on the actuarial balance of the Social Security Trust Funds.

    Dec 20, 2024: Amendment SA 3331, under the order of 12/20/2024, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 34 - 62. Record Vote Number: 336.

    Rejected
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.