WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman William Jefferson, D-LA, Wednesday vowed to push for a full Social Security committee hearing on government pension offset reform, one day after the Committee on Ways and Means rejected his attempt to attach his reform proposal onto the "earnings penalty" repeal legislation.

"Support for this important reform legislation grows every day. We now have 207 bipartisan co-sponsors who were recruited mainly through the grassroots lobbying effort of government retirees and widows who are penalized by these onerous and odorous provision," Jefferson said.

Five more co-sponsors were added Tuesday. They are: Reps. John M. McHugh, R-NY; Ron Paul, R-TX; Mike Thompson, D-CA; Frank D. Lucas, R-KY; and Michael F. Doyle, D-PA.

"I'm asking all co-sponsors of government pension offset reform to join me and write Chairman (Clay) Shaw, R-Fla, to hold a full hearing. The time to reform the harsh and unfair pension offset law is now," said Jefferson, who has championed the reform legislation for almost a decade. "Best of all, it provides this needed security without threatening the long-term viability of the Social Security system," he said.

Jefferson's legislation (H.R. 1217) exempts the first $1,200 of combined pension income from current pension offset provisions, which now reduce benefits for federal and other government retirees and ravage benefits for widows who are eligible for both civil service pensions and Social Security spousal benefits.

Here's how government pension offset penalizes works for public employee or spouse eligible for a $600 government pension and $600 Social Security benefit, or a combined $1,200 monthly benefit. Current law will reduce the Social Security benefit by two-thirds, leaving a combined $800 monthly benefit.

Jefferson's reform legislation repeals the offset provision for any combined retirement benefit totaling $1,200, or less. Offset provisions would continue to apply on Social Security benefits that exceed the $1,200 threshold.