| Last year was the high water mark in efforts over the last nearly 40 years to reform or remove the so-called Windfall Elimination Provision to Social Security, with the top Democrat and the top Republican of the influential Ways and Means Committee onboard. The rule stems back to the 1980s, deducting Social Security benefits from people who receive public pension checks for jobs in which they didn't pay into Social Security. About 2 million people nationally are affected, and 200,000 in Texas. It can dock as much as $500 per month from checks. With a new session of Congress starting and Republicans taking over control of the U.S. House, Democratic Rep. Richard Neal will no longer hold the gavel on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and Republican Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas won't be picking it up, as he retired at the end of last term. "With so much momentum around the issue in general… we did feel like this was the best shot we were going to get for a little while," said a lobbyist on the issue. "Well I think we were more hopeful that we were getting people's attention to get something done. I was not surprised that it didn't get passed because honestly I don't think it's going to happen in my lifetime," said Cathey Meyer, who worked in San Antonio-area schools for 28 years before starting a second career with an FBI counterintelligence team in Houston. Read the full story here. | 
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