Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), alongside Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX), and John Fetterman (D-PA), is calling on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to reevaluate its policy and deliver full retroactive payments to tens of thousands of Americans affected by the Government Pension Offset (GPO), including more than 40,000 in Louisiana alone.
The bipartisan group of senators issued a letter to SSA Acting Commissioner Martin O’Malley, requesting that maximum retroactive benefits be granted to spouses—particularly widows and widowers—who were misinformed by SSA employees and discouraged from applying for spousal benefits under GPO. Under the Social Security Fairness Act, which Senator Cassidy helped pass in January 2025, eligible recipients are entitled to retroactive benefits starting in January 2024. However, many are only receiving six months of retroactive payments based on their most recent contact with SSA.
“Green activist groups have a pattern. They manipulate the legal system to keep infrastructure and energy projects in legal purgatory,” said Senator Cassidy. “Let’s end this and get the project moving again. It’s the only way to unleash American energy!”
The senators argue that longstanding SSA policy acknowledges “protective filings,” which should remain open indefinitely if not properly closed. This means individuals who were discouraged from filing due to outdated or incorrect information may still be eligible for retroactive benefits beyond the six-month window currently being offered.
Background: Billions Already Distributed
Since the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law on January 5, 2025, more than $566 million in retroactive payments have already been distributed to over 73,000 Louisiana residents, placing the state among the top recipients nationwide.
Cassidy, a longtime advocate for reform, has championed the repeal of both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the GPO, policies that reduce Social Security benefits for public servants who also receive a government pension. He has introduced or co-sponsored related legislation in every congressional session since 2009 and has used his platform to challenge federal leaders, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, on the administration’s lack of a plan to safeguard Social Security.
Cassidy also leads a bipartisan working group dedicated to strengthening America’s retirement system, as part of what he has dubbed his “Big Idea” to secure the future of Social Security.
For more details on Senator Cassidy’s work on Social Security reform, visit cassidy.senate.gov.