### Surprise Move by Freedom Caucus Blocks Social Security Bill for Public Employees

In an unexpected twist on election night, a duo of lawmakers from the far-right Freedom Caucus successfully halted a U.S. House bill aimed at reinstating Social Security benefits to numerous public employees in Louisiana and several other states. The bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act (HR 82), sought to abolish the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset sections, which collectively diminish benefits for approximately 2.8 million public employees, including 90,000 in Louisiana.

The bill, spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, and Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, had gained significant support with 330 cosponsors in the 435-seat House. Notably, Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, a member of the Freedom Caucus, also backed the legislation. However, during a typically procedural pro forma session at 5 p.m. on Election Day, Reps. Bob Good, R-Virginia, and Andy Harris, R-Maryland, moved to table HR 82 by unanimous consent, effectively stalling the bill.

The legislative maneuver came as a shock and drew substantial criticism. The Maryland State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police rebuked Harris, calling the action "shameful" and urging for sanctions against him. Congressional leaders, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, are now exploring ways to counteract the move and bring the bill back to the floor.

The Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset were initially enacted in the 1980s when 26 states, including Louisiana, chose not to deduct Social Security taxes from public employees who were under government pension plans. This decision has since led to reduced or completely withheld Social Security benefits for those public servants who also worked in the private sector.

Graves and Spanberger have argued that the current provisions unfairly penalize public servants like police officers, firefighters, and teachers by reducing their retirement benefits. Although the bill had enough support to advance, last week's procedural move by the Freedom Caucus has thrown it into uncertainty.

Efforts are now focused on a "suspension of the rules" procedure, which would require two-thirds of the House to agree to bring the bill back for a vote. If revived and passed by the House, the bill would still face hurdles in the Senate, where a similar version has garnered 63 cosponsors.

The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated the cost of the proposed changes at $196 billion over the next decade. This would further strain the Social Security trust fund, which is projected to be depleted in nine years. According to the CBO, the additional payments could hasten the fund's exhaustion by about six months, potentially reducing benefits for all Social Security participants by approximately 25%.