Social Security Under Attack

The Bush Administration released its mid-session budget review on Tuesday, and it included a proposal to spend $721 billion over the next ten years to privatize Social Security - $9 billion more than originally proposed. In a speech on the budget, President Bush specifically alluded to the cuts to Social Security benefits which would be required as part of his plan, saying, "We need to cut entitlement spending." Americans United, a coalition that includes the Alliance and was crucial to beating back privatization efforts last year, is mounting a renewed campaign to call attention to individual politicians' positions on the issue. The group is drafting scripts for a national media campaign against candidates and incumbents, including Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Rep. Clay Shaw (R-FL). Americans United plans to begin the advertising blitz no later than the first week in August, kicking off in as many as five of its nearly 20 targeted states.

Previously, on a June 20 party-line vote, the Senate Budget Committee approved in a bill, S. 3521, a separate assault on Social Security that uses the line-item veto to make major changes in Federal budget laws. While described as a measure to restore fiscal discipline, the legislation actually represents a sneak attack on Social Security and Medicare. If enacted, S. 3521 would establish two commissions, either of which could be used to privatize Social Security and make deep cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits. The “entitlements commission” would study Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and propose changes to these programs. The “sunset commission” is designed to evaluate Federal programs and then eliminate or modify them as the commission sees fit. The recommendations of both commissions would be considered under fast track procedures, allowing little public notice or debate, and few, if any, opportunities for senators to offer amendments. “The line item veto is often described as a tool to eliminate wasteful, ‘pork barrel spending,’ but this line item veto goes much further,” said Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. “This could be used to eliminate improvements to Medicare and Social Security.”

Source: Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert July 14, 2006