Lawmakers Vow to Oppose Privatizing Social Security

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.afscme.org/11422.cfm

Protecting Social Security from President Bush’s privatization plan “is the defining issue in the next election,” said AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee at a Capitol Hill rally on September 7, at which dozens of lawmakers made a commitment to preserve America’s most important retirement safety net.


Marie Terry, a member of AFSCME’s West Virginia Retiree Chapter 77, displays her hand-made sign at the rally.


The rally marked the kickoff of the national “Golden Promise” campaign, which calls on House and Senate members to sign a personal pledge opposing efforts to privatize Social Security. Joined by allies from the Alliance for Retired Americans and Americans United, hundreds of AFSCME members and retirees chanted, “Hands off our Social Security!” as they stood in support of lawmakers who vow to protect the retirement security of America’s workers.

“It seems like only yesterday,” McEntee told attendees, “that AFSCME worked with congressional leaders, unions and senior groups to establish Americans United to Protect Social Security. And it’s a good thing we’ve kept Americans United alive so that we can defeat this President and his congressional allies once more.”

Although Bush dropped his privatization scheme under strong opposition from AFSCME and other groups, he is about to re-launch his assault. In a June 27 speech in Washington, D.C., he said, “As you might recall, I addressed that issue last year, focusing on Social Security reform. I’m not through talking about the issue. I spent some time today in the Oval Office with the United States senators, and they’re not through talking about the issue either.” Click here for the full speech.

At the rally, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) led about two dozen lawmakers on stage, where they vowed to block efforts to destabilize the retirement security that Social Security provides. “President Bush set out to privatize Social Security,” Pelosi told the enthusiastic crowd, “but you said, ‘No!’ all over the country, and for a while the matter was put to rest. But Bush would not take ‘no’ for an answer. We must save Social Security by winning the election in November.”


FULL story at link above.

[napi21]

1. This is ONe question every voter should ask at EVERY

political ralley, and even email the candidates running in YOUR area! I know all the polls show the most important cmpaign issue is Iraq, but people need to be reminded thatthis SS issue is just as important to EVERYONE!

I rememberwhenthe Dem candidates were saying elect a Dem or you will be very sorry with what Shrub will do to the SCOTUS. Well, not enough people believed that! I wonder just how sorry they are NOW?