House Committee on Ways and Means


July 12

Wichita Falls, Texas 76310
July 12, 2003

The Honorable Bill Thomas (CA)
Washington, D.C.

Re: Hearing on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse of the Social Security System

Dear Representative Thomas:

I am a retired Texas teacher, and because you, as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, have announced a hearing on waste, fraud, and abuse of the Social Security system and have requested input, I am writing to you.

Because of the GPO/WEP, many retired Americans are victims of waste, fraud, and abuse from the Social Security system. I have found personally that the GPO/WEP laws are cruel and harsh laws which have ruined retirement for me, a retired Texas English teacher, and for many other hardworking, innocent Americans who have paid into the social security system for a lifetime.

We planned responsibly throughout our working years so that we would have adequate retirement, and we counted on receiving all our social security benefits which had been outlined for us over the years in our social security statements. However, upon retirement, we lost our ability to have a financially secure retirement because the GPO/WEP laws put an end to our life time of planning. We retirees paid in but are not receiving!

I believe that all Americans should pay into social security; however, I have had to accept the fact that as a teacher in Texas I was not allowed to pay into social security. Accordingly, I realize that I should not receive social security benefits based on my teacher salary. HOWEVER, I did pay into social security and had my earned my forty quarters and my social security retirement before I started teaching in 1979, yet I can only receive half of these retirement benefits because of the WEP.

In addition, and most cruelly, because of the GPO I am being denied social security spousal benefits from my husband who has contributed faithfully to social security for over 50 years, believing all along that this would help both of us in retirement. However, the GPO has destroyed my husband’s plans for my security. I cannot receive any spousal benefits now from him, and should he die before I, I will only be able to draw $21 a month as his widow. The GPO has placed thousands of widows around the country in dire financial circumstances. I do not understand how my government can legally deny me benefits earned by my husband for my benefit, regardless of whether or not I worked -- but this was done by the GPO.

I want to call attention to three statements made in your ADVISORY of July 10, 2003:

  1. "Misuse of taxpayer funds undermines confidence in government programs, hurts legitimate beneficiaries, and squanders scarce resources." Yes, our confidence in government programs has been underminded. Yes, we as legitimate beneficiaries have been hurt; Yes, the taxes which we paid in for our use are being squandered and spent on others, and we cannot receive our full, earned benefits. All of this happened because of two laws - the GPO/WEP - which were passed hurriedly and without thought of what would happen to the average American.
  2. "Many of these programs are approaching 50 years of age or more, and the Committee has a responsibility to ensure that they are meeting the needs of beneficiaries today and tomorrow." No, the social security program is not meeting our needs. We paid into the system but are not receiving and this has left many retired Americans in dismal financial condition. Again, all of this happened because of two laws - the GPO/WEP - which were passed hurriedly and without thought of what would happen to the average American.
    3.
  3. "The tax dollars that working Americans send to Washington should be used wisely and for their intended purpose." No, the tax dollars that my husband and I and thousands of other Americans sent in are not being used for their intended purpose, which was to help in our retirement years. All of this happened, again, because of two laws - the GPO/WEP - which were passed hurriedly and without thought of what would happen to the average American.

Representative Thomas, I am asking that as you chair this Committee on Ways and Means and as you and your fellow congressmen search for ways to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, that you remember that it is not WASTE to give us our rightful benefits, which were taken away by two quietly passed laws which have proven to be unfair.

I also ask that you remember that it is FRAUD on the part of our beloved government to take our money designated for our benefits and then to deny benefits to us, which benefits before 1983 were perfectly legal.

Finally, I ask that you remember that one group of American retirees, those who happened to live in states where they could not pay into social security and those who happened to choose such jobs as teachers, firemen, and other service jobs, are being ABUSED financially even though they or their spouses paid into the system.

Please use your influence to help correct and update the social security system so that American retirees will no longer be denied their earned benefits.

Please help eliminate the waste, fraud, and abuse which these dedicated, tax-paying retirees have had to endure.

Please contact me if you have any questions. I want to help. Even if I won the Texas Lottery, I would still battle for the elimination of the GPO/WEP because these laws are just UNFAIR.

Thank you for all the work you have done for America and its citizens.

Sincerely yours,

Martha Callaway
Retired Texas English Teacher