FederalDaily - February 13, 2007
Union Supports SS Rule Change Bill
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) said it supports a House bill that would eliminate two
Social Security provisions—the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision
(WEP)—that reduce benefits for some retired federal employees. NTEU last week announced its backing
for HR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2007, a bipartisan measure cosponsored by Reps. Howard
Berman, D-Calif., and Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif. The Social Security Administration
estimates that more than 300,000 former federal workers have had their Social Security payments reduced
as a result of the GPO, NTEU President Colleen Kelley said on Feb. 9. The provision also has a particularly
harsh impact on female federal retirees, she said. “Many women are eligible for smaller federal
pensions than their male counterparts due to career interruptions that arose from raising their children
or due to the fact many worked in lower-paid positions in the federal government,” Kelley said.
To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1032
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ABA President Advocates Better Legal Support for Low-Income Servicemembers
American Bar Association (ABA) President Karen Mathis on Feb. 9 called on Congress to mandate the
provision of civil legal assistance for low-income military personnel and their dependents. Mathis’ recommendation
is one of 35 resolutions the 546-member ABA House of Delegates will consider during its two-day policy-making
session this week in Miami. No recommendation represents association policy unless it is approved by
the delegates. In support of the recommendation, Mathis said civil legal assistance should be readily
available to all low-income, active-duty service members in pay grades E-6 and below. “To take
one example, the very real danger of death in combat makes it necessary for young military parents
to do proper estate planning. And, of course, financial pressures can lead to bankruptcy and other
legal needs,” Mathis said. In another resolution, ABA members will decide whether to urge legislatures
to enact laws allowing non-parent caregivers to use accrued leave to provide direct care for children
of deployed servicemembers. It also asks states, cities, towns and school districts to ensure that
residency laws permit children of deployed military personnel to attend their local schools without
tuition fees or other restrictions caused by district policies. To see more, go to: www.abanet.org/abanet/media/release/news_release.cfm?releaseid=74
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USPS Employees on High Alert
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has its employees on a nationwide high alert to identify suspicious
packages in the wake of the discovery of two explosive devices sent to financial institutions in the
past two weeks. Agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are working with the FBI and the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to find the source of the explosive devices, USPS
said Feb. 10. While the investigation continues, postal service employees are on high alert to
identify suspicious packages, USPS said. Employees receive training in the identification and proper
handling procedures for packages that may be hazardous or dangerous. Also, postal inspectors are encouraging
the financial industry to re-examine their procedures for handling correspondence and packages. To
see more, go to: www.usps.com/postalinspectors/pos84.pdf
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