Every senator who voted against increasing Social Security

What’s new

The Social Security Fairness Act passed the Senate without amendments last week. In total, 49 Democrats and 27 Republicans voted for the bill, while 20 Republicans voted against it.

Why it matters

If signed by the president, the bill will lift restrictions on receiving Social Security benefits for about three million Americans. Under current regulations, two provisions – the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) – reduce the pension benefits provided to some civil servants.

The bill received broad bipartisan support in the House and Senate and passed in November by a vote of 327-75.

What you should know

The following senators voted against the Social Security Fairness Act:

• John Barrasso Barrasso (R-WY)
• Katie Britt (R-AL)
• Ted Budd (R-NC)
• Mike Crapo (R-ID)
• Ted Cruz (R-TX)
• Steve Daines (R-MT)
• Joni Ernst (R-IA)
• Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
• Ron Johnson (R-WI)
• Mike Lee (R-UT)
• Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
• Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
• Rand Paul (R-KY)
• Mitt Romney (R-UT)
• Mike Rounds (R-SD)
• John Thune (R-SD)
• Thom Tillis (R-NC)
• Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)
• Todd Young (R-IN)

Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), JD Vance (R-OH), Joe Manchin (I-WV) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) did not vote.

The legislation comes at a high price at a time of growing concern about the solvency of the Social Security Administration (SSA) trust funds. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill will cost about $190 billion over the next decade and means the Social Security trust fund “will be depleted approximately six months sooner than it would under current law.”

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul introduced an amendment to the bill that would gradually increase the full retirement age from 67 to 70 over 12 years to offset the increased costs. It failed, receiving votes only from him and two other Republican senators: Lummis of Wyoming and Mike Lee of Utah.

Newsweek emailed Paul’s office outside of regular working hours for comment.

What people say

Rand Paul spoke Friday about introducing his amendment: “If we give new people more money, we have to take it from somewhere. We either have to borrow it or print it out, but it has to come from somewhere. You can’t just push the bankruptcy of Social Security and say, ‘Well, it’s going to go bankrupt in about nine years, but maybe I won’t be here anymore.’ Shouldn’t we care about the future of Social Security?”

Senator Thom Tillis, who voted against the bill, said after the vote: “We gave in to the pressure of the moment instead of doing so sustainably.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: “Millions of retired teachers, firefighters, mail carriers and state and local workers have waited decades for this moment. Public retirees will no longer have to watch as they are robbed of their hard-earned Social Security benefits.”

Edward Kelly, the general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said after the bill’s passage: “Congress broke a promise to millions of Americans 40 years ago when it passed the windfall elimination provision and the federal pension equalization. Today, U.S. Senators from both parties joined together to right this wrong and ensure that retired firefighters and other dedicated public servants get the Social Security benefits they paid into and earned.”

What’s next?

The bill will be submitted to the White House, where it will be signed by the president. Once signed, the waivers will apply to monthly Social Security benefits payable after December 2023.