My grandparents worked hard for this country all their lives. My grandmother worked in retail, and my grandfather was a pit boss in the casinos. Like so many Nevadans, they paid into Social Security throughout their careers, and when it came time for them to retire, they relied on the Social Security benefits they had earned to support them.

Today, more than 1.5 million Nevadans pay into Social Security, expecting that they will get a return on their investment once they reach retirement age. More than one in six Nevada residents receives Social Security benefits, with over 100,000 Nevada residents depending on the program for at least 90% of their income. Without Social Security benefits, 35% of Nevadans 65 or older would be in poverty.

My priority in the Senate is to do what I can to protect and expand Social Security and ensure Nevadans like my grandparents can access the benefits they’ve earned. Most recently, I’m proud to have worked across the aisle to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, restoring Social Security for public servants across the country who have been unfairly denied their full benefits.

Millions of teachers, firefighters, and police officers earn a pension and do not pay into Social Security. However, many of these public servants have also worked in jobs, or currently work a second job, during which they do pay into Social Security. But because they had a job for which they receive a pension not covered by Social Security, two laws were passed over 40 years ago that put harsh limits on their benefits in retirement.

One of the laws is the Windfall Elimination Provision, which reduces Social Security benefits for the 39,000 Nevada retirees who also received pensions from a public service job not covered by Social Security. The second law is the Government Pension Offset, which cuts Social Security spousal and survivor benefits for 12,000 Nevadans who likewise also received pensions not covered by Social Security. These two laws unfairly punish those who contribute the most to our communities by denying them full access to the benefits they or their spouses have paid into.

Our police officers, school teachers, and firefighters work hard every day to support our families, and in turn, they should be able to support their own families after they retire – through both their government pension and Social Security benefits. That’s why I voted for the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, which repeals both the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. Now that President Biden has signed the bill into law, those 50,000 Nevadans who will be receiving the Social Security benefits they’ve earned will be able to retire with dignity.

Any Nevadans who are currently receiving partially or completely offset Social Security benefits do not need to take any additional action at this time except to make sure their current mailing address and direct deposit information are up to date at SSA.gov/myaccount. If you are receiving a public pension and are interested in filing for Social Security benefits for the first time, visit SSA.gov/apply for more information. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you have any issues.

My grandparents helped teach me the value of hard work and giving back to our community, and my mission in the Senate is to be an advocate for the Nevadans like them who relied on Social Security to pay their bills in retirement. I will always work to protect those benefits, and I will always stand up against any future efforts to cut those benefits and harm Nevada families.