PUSH UNDERWAY TO FORCE FLOOR VOTE ON WEP/GPO REPEAL

September 15, 2006 (Washington, D.C.):  Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett has
introduced a resolution (H.RES. 987) to discharge the WEP/GPO Repeal bill (H.R.
147) from the Social Security Subcommittee and have it go to the floor of the
House of Representatives for a vote. Like Massachusetts,
Texas is one of the states whose
public retirees are being hurt by the WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) and
the GPO (Government Pension Offset).

Rep. Doggett is a Democrat from Austin,
Texas. He is a member of the House
Ways and Means Committee, of which the Social
Security Subcommittee is a part.

“We call upon our members, throughout the country, to
contact their respective Congressman now and urge them to sign on as a
co-sponsor to House Resolution 987,” states Legislative Chairman Bill Hill.
“Remember the Congress ends its current session at year’s end and starts all
over again in “07.

“Therefore, Resolution 987 represents our last chance this
year to get WEP/GPO repeal before the full Congress for a vote. Act now!”

By way of background, H.R. 147, originally sponsored by
Republican Congressman “Buck” McKeon from California,
repeals both the WEP and GPO laws and has 323 co-sponsors, which represents
almost 75% of the entire House of Representatives. (435 congressmen). The
entire Mass. delegation supports
H.R. 147.

H.R. 147 is in the Social Security Subcommittee, which is
chaired by Republican Congressman Jim McCrery of Shreveport,
Louisiana. H.RES. 987 orders that H.R. 147
be discharged from the Subcommittee and be sent to the House floor for a vote.

“The Resolution needs 218 signers in order for the discharge
to be successful, “continues Hill. “Obviously, this is much less than the 323
who originally signed onto the Repeal bill.

“However, please understand it’s traditionally much harder
to get signers on a discharge petition, even those who signed onto the original
bill that you’re trying to get discharged. You can’t assume that the magic
number of 218, needed for the discharge, will easily be reached here.
Therefore, please contact your congressman.”