AU Calls on Santorum to Rebuke President for Proposing Again to Privatize Social Security
Americans United Calls on Santorum to Rebuke President for Proposing Again to Privatize Social Security, Slash Benefits
Senator Given One More Chance to Change Tune on Controversial Effort to Dismantle Social Security through Risky, Expensive Private Account Scheme
July 11, 2006 (Washington D.C.) - Americans United, the group which derailed President Bush's effort to privatize Social Security in 2005, called on U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) to reverse his support for privatization and to rebuke the President for proposing the plan again today in the Bush Administration's mid-session budget review submitted to Congress. In the review, President Bush proposed spending $721 billion over the next ten years on his risky and expensive scheme to privatize Social Security - a plan which would explode the national debt and require steep cuts in the guaranteed benefit for seniors, survivors and the disabled."You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. For President Bush to roll out the same old reckless and hugely unpopular privatization plan signals just how hopelessly out of touch he really is. Privatization was a terrible, irresponsible idea in 2005; it's every bit as bad today. Privatization would mean massive benefit cuts for middle-class Americans and would send the already ballooning national debt to the point of no return. And nothing will change the fact that privatization wouldn't add a day to the life of Social Security - not one single day," said Brad Woodhouse, spokesman for Americans United.
In a speech on the budget today President Bush specifically alluded to the cuts to Social Security benefits which would be required as part of his privatization scheme saying: "We need to cut entitlement spending." Bush's full remarks can be found here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060711-1.html
"Rick Santorum has been one of President Bush's biggest advocates for privatizing Social Security and destroying the program through massive benefit cuts and imposing on the nation massive additional debt," added Woodhouse. "We are calling on Sen. Santorum today to turn over a new leaf - to change course and to rebuke the President for again proposing to privatize Social Security and putting at risk the retirement security of millions of seniors, survivors and disabled Americans. Senator Santorum, will you continue to stand with the President and go down this tortured path towards destroying American's most cherished retirement program - or will you stand with the vast majority of Americans and Pennsylvanians would have already rejected it?"
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