Other Retirement Proposals Also Stall

Also stalling after clearing a House committee was a proposal to allow federal retirees to participate in the "premium conversion" arrangement that allows active employees to pay FEHB premiums with pre-tax money. Two other widely watched retirement proposals, to repeal or soften the windfall elimination provision and government pension offset provisions of Social Security law that primarily affect CSRS retirees who also are eligible for Social Security benefits, did not even reach committee votes. More progress was made on a proposal to give FERS employees credit for unused sick leave as time served toward their retirement benefits, as the House passed such a provision as part of an unrelated tobacco policy bill. But the White House threat to veto that bill over other issues ultimately stymied that plan.