Tim Greene meets Biden during White House ceremony

ASHEBORO — Shaking hands with the President of the United States is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most Americans. Tim Greene of Asheboro enjoyed that opportunity on Jan. 5.

Retired from the US Postal Service, Greene has been involved for years with a national task force pushing the Windfall Elimination Provision. 

The group wanted Congress to change the law, signed in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan, that reduced Social Security benefits for certain government employees, such as teachers, firefighters, letter carriers, police and emergency medical technicians.

Their efforts finally bore fruit with passage of HR 82 — The Social Security Fairness Act by both houses of Congress. President Joe Biden signed the bill in a ceremony at the White House on Jan. 5.

Because of his involvement in the lobbying efforts, Greene had been invited to attend the ceremony along with about 200 other trade union leaders.

“It was one of the most awesome experiences in my life,” he said. “I never dreamed it would happen.”

He said entering the White House, the group passed through three checkpoints set up by the Secret Service. They were led to the East WIng, where a Marine Corps band was playing. 

“We were seated within 10 or 12 feet of the President,” Greene said, adding that Biden gave a good speech before the official signing. Then they were allowed to meet personally with the Chief Executive.

“When I got up and talked to him, I thought, 'I hope I’m as in good a shape as he is when I’m his age,' ” Greene said. “He asked where I was from in North Carolina. I said I was from Asheboro, the home of the North Carolina Zoo. I said they let me out for the weekend.”

But there was more to come for Greene, who is known for his singing voice. He said he was escorted out by an Army woman. When they came upon the band playing “God Bless America,” Tim asked his escort if they could stop for a minute. Then he “sang with them and afterward they applauded,” giving him yet another “awesome experience.”

Greene said the passage of HR 82 was the culmination of years “of a collective effort by a lot of people, 40 years of righting a wrong.” He said some 25 million Americans would benefit.