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NARFE Advocacy Prepares for the 118th Congress
NARFE GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY
LEARN MORE about how you can take action to protect your earned pay and benefits by reviewing NARFE Grassroots materials at www.narfe.org/advocacy.
In just a few weeks, 2023 will be ushered in with the famous ball drop and fireworks in cities around the world. People anxiously anticipate what’s to come in the new year. NARFE shares those sentiments, as its advocacy team looks forward to the new year, new Congress and new bill introductions.
NARFE thanks its members for continuing to support advocacy efforts and communicating with their Representative and Senators about how their lives are affected by policies like the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) or costof-living adjustments. These communications put a face on the issues, localizing them and increasing the chances of gaining lawmakers’ support for policies that are in the best interests of their constituents.
Members mobilized and communicated with lawmakers through thousands of letters and phone calls. They also conducted hundreds of meetings and events, in person and by video conference, at town halls, candidate forums, meet and greets, coffee hours and other community events.
While the outcome on many issues remained uncertain at press time, NARFE’s member advocates did their part to move the ball forward. They urged lawmakers to support the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82/S. 1302), a bill to repeal the WEP and GPO, increasing cosponsors and surpassing the 290 required to place it on the House Consensus Calendar to help force further action on the issue.
Members also urged members to support the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act (H.R. 2337), legislation to reform the WEP and GPO; the Fair COLA for Seniors Act (H.R. 4315), a bill that would replace the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers with one that focuses on spending by seniors, to more accurately calculate a price index for Americans age 62 and older to determine annual COLAs for Social Security beneficiaries, federal annuitants, military retirees and certain veterans; and the Equal COLA Act, H.R. 304/S.4221, which would ensure that COLAs to Federal Employees Retiree System (FERS) annuities match the measured change in consumer prices.
Many engaged in Public Servants Recognition Week in May, Grassroots Advocacy Month in August and participated in NARFE’s two biennial conferences, LEGcon21and FEDcon22. The 2022 mid-term election also gave members additional opportunities to engage with incumbents and new candidates. Members met them on the campaign trail to educate them about NARFE and prepared their community for Election Day on November 8, utilizing NARFE’s get-out-the-vote resource center.
Looking ahead to the 118th Congress, NARFE’s advocacy team has been busy planning its lobbying and grassroots strategies in anticipation of new and reintroduced bills. Advocacy leaders will also welcome all newly elected lawmakers in January 2023 with a welcome packet containing information about NARFE, its legislative priorities, and other federal employee and retiree community information.
NARFE thanks you for your advocacy and invites you to join its list of volunteers who dedicate their time to ensuring that Representatives and Senators understand how their actions affect the people they represent. If you would like to join NARFE‘s advocacy efforts, contact your chapter and federation. Also, don’t hesitate to contact NARFE headquarters’ advocacy team at advocacy@narfe.org.
NARFE THANKS ITS MEMBERS FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT ADVOCACY EFFORTS.
—BY MARSHA PADILLA-GOAD, DIRECTOR, GRASSROOTS PROGRAM
