LRTA Representative to Participate in Delegation to Repeal GPO/WEP

LRTA State Legislative Chair Clyde Hamner will join State Representative Mike Johnson as part of a state delegation and lobby Congress to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). The delegation includes several other stakeholders, such as retired state employees. They will travel to Washington D.C. in early March.

(Pictured: House Retirement Committee Chair Rep. Phillip DeVillier and Rep. Mike Johnson). LRTA has participated in many preliminary conversations and worked with Representative Johnson to coordinate this trip. Other members of Congress have assisted and established an itinerary, including U.S. Rep. Garret Graves. On January 31, LRTA State President Janis Hernandez attended a luncheon to further develop the itinerary and strategy for the delegation to employ as they meet with Louisiana’s members of Congress and other members of Congress who represent states impacted by the GPO and WEP.

(Pictured: LRTA State President Janis Hernandez and LRTA Executive Director Rodney Watson attending a planning meeting hosted by Rep. Mike Johnson).Currently, there are several pieces of legislation that aim to repeal either the WEP only or both the GPO and WEP. H.R. 82 by Rep. Rodney Davis-IL, which would fully repeal both the GPO and WEP, has nearly 248 cosponsors. Other bills that call for the partial repeal of the WEP only, such as H.R. 2337 by Rep. Richard Neal-MA and H.R. 5834 by Rep. Kevin Brady-TX, are also gaining traction. We are seeing more conversations and actions to repeal the GPO and WEP than ever before. We hope face-to-face meetings with our delegation will encourage members of Congress who have not cosponsored one of these bills to pledge their support. LRTA will continue to work with local and national coalitions in the fight to repeal the GPO and WEP. Your membership with LRTA supports our efforts to advocate on the issues that impact Louisiana’s retired teachers!

Regards,
Rodney R. Watson
LRTA Executive Director

If you have not done so already, contact your member of Congress to either thank them for cosponsoring one of the bills or encourage them to cosponsor a bill. Click here to visit the LRTA Action Center for more information.