U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce: What, me privatize Social Security?

U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce: What, me privatize Social Security?

Congresswoman claims to be "adamantly opposed to privatization" of Social Security -- but what's her signature doing on this letter urging Bush to "transform" Social Security with "personal retirement accounts?"

August 17, 2006 (Washington D.C.) - Americans United blasted comments made by U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH-15)'s campaign office that appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer today which seem to run counter to the Congresswoman's aggressive and well-documented efforts to dismantle Social Security with a risky privatization scheme.  According to the piece by Elizabeth Auster - entitled, "Social Security becoming issue in fall elections" -- George Rasley, a spokesman for Deborah Pryce's campaign, proclaimed the Congresswoman is "adamantly opposed to privatization."  However, as the Plain Dealer pointed out, Rep. Pryce "is trying to blunt accusations...that she played a leading role in trying to sell Bush's plan last year as a member of the House GOP leadership. Pryce signed a strategy document advising GOP lawmakers how to frame arguments that could convince constituents of the benefits of Bush's plan."

            In addition, on May 24, 2001, more than 100 Republican Members of Congress - including Deborah Pryce -- sent a letter to President George W. Bush's 'Commission to Strengthen Social Security', urging it to propose "personal retirement accounts" to "transform Social Security."  The full letter can be viewed here: http://web.archive.org/web/20010620131710/http:/www.demint.house.gov/socialsecurity/commissionltr01.htm

"Deborah Pryce, like many of her friends in Congress, likes to play word games with her position on Social Security reform," said Jeremy Funk, spokesman for Americans United.  "The Congresswoman is now telling her constituents that she's ‘adamantly opposed to privatization.' The fact is, just last year Deborah Pryce was writing ‘talking points' for her Republican colleagues to use to try to convince their constituents that gutting Social Security to fund private accounts is a peachy idea.  And in 2001, Pryce signed a letter to Bush's Social Security Commission calling for the program to be ‘transformed' with ‘personal retirement accounts.' That's privatization -- pure and simple.  Pro-privatizers like Deborah Pryce can call their risky investment scheme anything they want to, but the result is still the same: massive benefit cuts for the middle-class and trillions of dollars in new debt." 

President Bush hinted at an effort to resuscitate his hugely unpopular privatization proposal during a speech in Washington D.C. on June 27th, assuring his audience that "now is the time" and that "If we can't get it done this year, I'm going to try next year. And if we can't get it done next year, I'm going to try the year after that." On July 11th, Bush took action with the release of his administration's Mid-Session Budget Review.  The President's budget includes a proposal to divert $721 billion from the Social Security trust fund to private accounts over the next 10 years - virtually the same proposal which was overwhelmingly rejected by the American public in 2005.  On July 31st, House Majority Leader John Boehner, one of the President's most powerful allies in Congress, promised to do everything in his power to advance the effort next year, telling the Washington Times : "If I'm around in a leadership role come January, we're going to get serious about it."

"President Bush and his allies in Congress are rolling out the same reckless privatization proposal that was overwhelmingly rejected by the American public last year.  Privatization was a terrible, irresponsible idea in 2005; it's every bit as bad today.  And nothing will change the fact that privatization wouldn't add a day to the life of Social Security - not one single day," said Funk. "So it's not surprising that Deborah Pryce would run scared from her pro-privatization record given how hugely unpopular it is in Ohio; but she's going to have a very tough time pulling the wool over her constituents' eyes given the embarrassing paper trail she left behind in the wake of her efforts to dismantle this nation's most cherished retirement program." 

Americans United, the group which led the fight to beat back the Bush-privatization proposal in 2005, has renewed their national campaign to get privatization off the table once and for all.  AU recently unveiled a new TV ad running in 5 states, including Ohio, which highlights the President's renewed effort to privatize Social Security.  The ad can be viewed here: http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/blog/entries/dont_cut_social_security/

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