WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people, pushing it one step closer to becoming law.
The Social Security bill on Tuesday won bipartisan support in the House, 327-75, in what is now the lame-duck period for Congress. The bill now heads to the Senate, where passage is not assured despite considerable support.
Here’s what to know about the legislation and what could happen next.
Decades in the making, the bill would repeal two federal policies — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people, according to reports from the Congressional Research Service.
The policies broadly reduce payments to two groups of Social Security recipients: people who also receive a pension from a job that is not covered by Social Security and surviving spouses of Social Security recipients who receive a government pension of their own.
People who worked in state, local and federal government jobs have been heavily affected by the policies, as have teachers, firefighters and police officers, according to lawmakers and advocates.
Both provisions would be repealed by the bill, thereby increasing Social Security payments for many.
The budgetary effect of the legislation is considerable, adding an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
That means more fiscal strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which were already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. Some conservatives in the House attempted to block the legislation due to its cost.
Supporters of the bill in the House acknowledged the fiscal impact but said it was a matter of fairness.
“For more than 40 years, the Social Security trust funds have been artificially propped up by stolen benefits that millions of Americans paid for and that their families deserve,” said Reps. Garret Graves, R-La. and Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., the lead sponsors of the bill in the House.
“The time to put an end to this theft is now,” they said.
The Social Security bill has 63 sponsors in the Senate — a significant tally because 60 votes are needed to pass most legislation in the chamber.
Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, the lead sponsors, have urged colleagues to take up the bill as soon as possible.
But the Senate has a jam-packed schedule in the remaining weeks of the year, with government funding, disaster relief and an annual must-pass defense bill likely to eat up considerable floor time.
If passed by the Senate, the bill would go to President Joe Biden. If the bill is signed into law, the changes would be effective for benefits payable after December 2023.
But if the bill doesn’t pass the Senate by Jan. 3, when a new session of Congress begins, it would expire and supporters would have to start over.
The Capitol is pictured, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
LONDON (AP) — South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe hurt England once again by scoring a try in each half to propel the Springboks to a 29-20 win at Twickenham on Saturday, extending the English run of defeats to five.
It was England’s third straight loss to a southern hemisphere power in this autumn series, after 24-22 to New Zealand and 42-37 to Australia, and some familiar faces administered the late crucial blows in an engrossing match that was in the balance after an hour.
Kolbe, one of the try-scorers in the Boks’ World Cup final win over England in 2019, finished off a crossfield kick for his first try in the 22nd minute and went over for the clinching score in the 63rd following a piercing break by center Damien de Allende.
South Africa pushed two scores ahead thanks to a conversion by replacement flyhalf Handre Pollard, whose last-gasp penalty sealed the Boks’ win over England in the World Cup semifinals last year, and the English couldn’t respond despite territory and playing against 14 men for the final 10 minutes.
Since repeating as world champions a year ago, the Springboks have won 10 of 12 tests and lost the other two by only a point each. England, meanwhile, has lost six of its last seven tests and has a concerning penchant for finishing tight games weakly.
It is leaving England coach Steve Borthwick under increasing pressure, especially if his team fails to beat Japan next week in their last outing of the year.
A frenetic first half featured five tries, two for England — through Ollie Sleightholme and Sam Underhill — and three for the Boks, via scrumhalf Grant Williams’ darting run, flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit's chargedown and grounding, and Kolbe.
The second half was more tight and tense, with each team having a try ruled out and England taking a 20-19 lead through Marcus Smith’s penalty in the 52nd.
England lacked composure with a huge win in its sights and Pollard, on for Mannie Libbok, returned the favor with a trademark penalty from halfway to regain the lead for the Boks.
Kolbe took De Allende’s pass and sprinted down the wing to score the try that broke English hearts, and Pollard naturally slotted the extras from the touchline.
Replacement prop Gerhard Steenekamp’s 69th-minute sin-binning for repeated team infringements might have cost South Africa, but its defense stayed strong and England made errors and bad decisions.
The last time England lost three in a row at home was in 2006.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
England's Marcus Smith is tackled by South Africa's Grant Williams during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
South Africa's Damian de Allende, is tackled by England's Tommy Freeman during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
South Africa's RG Snyman tries to break through the England defence during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
South Africa's Manie Libbok converts a try during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
South Africa's Pieter-Steph du Toit goes over the line to score a try during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
England's Ollie Sleightholme runs onto score a try during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Referee Andrew Brace indicates a try as England's Sam Underhill, raises his arm to celebrate after he scores during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
England's Ollie Lawrence loose the ball as he is tackled by South Africa's Kurt-Lee Arendse during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
South Africa's Eben Etzebeth, right leaps for a high ball with England's Ollie Sleightholme , center and England's Chandler Cunningham-South during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
England's Sam Underhill, , left, us tackled by South Africa's Jasper Wiese during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
South Africa's Grant Williams fends off the challenge by England's Jack van Poortvliet during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
South Africa's Jasper Wiese, is brought down by England's Maro Itoje during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
England's Tommy Freeman, left, and South Africa's Kurt-Lee Arendse leap for a high ball during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
South Africa's Pieter-Steph du Toit leaps for the ball at a line out during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
South Africa's Siya Kolisi is tackled by England's Ellis Genge during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
South Africa's Cheslin Kolbe, runs over the line to score a try during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and South Africa, at Twickenham, in London, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
