View from the Hill

Vol. 1, No. 5--December 4, 2004

by Tim Carpenter

After speaking with senior policy staffers from the Progressive Congressional Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus, it's clear to PDA that one of the most urgent policy debates that will quickly appear on the Congressional radar screen will be privatization of Social Security. The other major issue expected to be debated will be health care coverage for the uninsured. In the opinion of the leadership PDA talked with, the grassroots progressive community must be prepared to quickly engage in a well-coordinated national advocacy effort to prevent the privatization of Social Security and to pressure Congress to introduce and pass legislation that will provide all Americans with high quality, affordable health care.

According to Hill staffers, the progressive community should immediately begin flooding members of Congress, Senators, and President Bush with phone calls, faxes, and e-mails that voice opposition to the privatization of Social Security.

Congressional switchboard: (202) 225-5126
Senate: (202) 226-5126
President Bush: (202) 456-1414

Staffers feel that phone calls, office visits, and faxes to both local and national offices of elected officials can greatly influence how a Representative or Senator will vote regarding the privatization of Social Security. Resolutions opposing Social Security privatization passed in city councils, universities, or state legislatures can, they believe, also make a major difference in how elected officials will vote.

Leading Senior Advocacy organizations are fighting privatization. The National Committee To Preserve Social Security & Medicare, (202-216-0420) writes, "Will you allow privatization--with estimated transition costs of as much as $1 trillion--to undermine Social Security guaranteed benefits by diverting payroll taxes away from the Trust Funds and into risky personal accounts?" AARP also opposes the privatization of Social Security.

The Bush administration, along with Republicans in Congress, wants to take billions of dollars out of the Social Security Trust Fund and allow citizens to establish IRA-like savings accounts. They claim privatization of Social Security will help the program remain solvent. But critics of privatization believe that this will most likely lead to the reduction of Social Security benefits to current recipients and drastically reduce benefits to future generations. This means that students, youth, and the middle-aged people who will be depending on Social Security for their retirement have a vested interest in opposing privatization. Seniors and the disabled, who are already struggling to survive on Social Security, need legislation that increases their paltry benefits, not reduces them. Current Social Security beneficiaries can barely afford the skyrocketing costs of rent and prescription drugs, which often are more than their monthly Social Security check.

Rep. John Conyers and Rep. Dennis Kucinich will continue with their efforts to pass national health insurance legislation. HR 676, "The United States National Health Insurance Act," co-sponsored by Conyers and Kucinich, will be re-introduced in the 109th Congress. We need the progressive community to call their Members of Congress (ask to speak to the Health Care Legislative Assistant), and urge them to co-sponsor HR 676. Universal health care organizations throughout the U.S. are planning emergency Congressional hearings on the health care crisis in America and are working to pass resolutions in city councils calling for universal health care now. Please contact Marilyn Clement, Campaign For A National Health Plan Now, or call 212-627-6377, for more information.

* PDA would like to thank Joel Segal, legislative assistant with Rep. John Conyers, for assisting us with this update.

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