Another Week, Another Chance for the Republican Presidential Field to Duck Hard Questions |
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tonight, the AARP will
be hosting a forum for the Republican candidates in Iowa to address issues
important to America's seniors but only one of the Republican frontrunners
will attend as the others cited "scheduling conflicts." This comes as no
surprise, considering the candidates' risky positions on issues affecting
America's seniors, including their support for Bush's failed plan to
privatize Social Security -- a plan the American people already
overwhelmingly rejected. [Sioux City Journal, 10/25/07]
Rudy Giuliani probably doesn't want to explain his blind support for
Bush's failed privatization plan and his abysmal record on senior issues
while Mayor of New York City. Mitt Romney also supports privatizing Social
Security and is even considering "deep cuts" in benefits. Fred Thompson
probably isn't participating due to his recently outlined plan to slash
benefits by 24% and up to 40% by 2050. [Washington Post, 10/12/07] And
watch for John McCain to squirm today as he tries to explain his votes
against Social Security and many other issues important to seniors.
This isn't the first time the Republican candidates have avoided an
audience in an attempt to hide their records. Almost every Republican
running for President has ducked major conferences of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National
Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), the National Education
Association (NEA), the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and even the
Young Republicans National Convention and the College Republican
Convention. They also recently skipped out on a forum focusing on issues
important to African Americans and Hispanics.
"Given that the American people overwhelmingly opposed Bush's plan to
privatize Social Security it comes as no surprise that the Republican
frontrunners don't want to have to explain why they support it. Once again
the Republican field of presidential candidates has demonstrated their
unwavering commitment to four more years of failed Bush policies," said DNC
Press Secretary Stacie Paxton.
GIULIANI WANTS TO GUT RETIREMENT SECURITY WITH PRIVATIZATION
Giuliani Supports Bush's Failed Plan to Privatize Social Security. In
August of 2007, Giuliani "said he supported President Bush's unsuccessful
proposal to allow people to invest some of their Social Security taxes in
private accounts." [Associated Press, 8/17/07]
Giuliani Wanted To Cut $7 Million From The Department of Aging. In his
final year in office, Giuliani proposed more than $7-million reduction in
the Department of the Aging budget. The cuts included $3 million to a
program that allows senior centers to provide an extra, or sixth, meal to
the elderly each week, a $ 2.5-million council-initiated program to hire
social workers for senior citizen centers in each council district and $
1.8 million in increased spending for expanded van service, home-repair
assistance, food delivery. [Newsday (New York), 1/30/01]
JOHN MCCAIN VOTED AGAINST SOCIAL SECURITY
McCain Supports Replacing Social Security Benefits With Risk-Based
Private Savings Accounts. In 2006, McCain voted for the Social Security
Reserve Fund. The GOP proposal would shift Social Security's annual
surpluses into a reserve account intended to be turned into risky private
accounts. In 2005, McCain voted to keep the option open for Congress to
pass a Social Security plan that could require deep benefit cuts or a
massive increase in debt. That same year, McCain voted against legislation
that would prioritize Social Security solvency over tax cuts for the
wealthy. And, in 1998 McCain voted twice to replace Social Security's
guaranteed benefits with income from risk-based private investments. [SCR
83, Vote 68, 3/16/06, Failed 46-53, D:0-44, R:46- 8, I:0-1; SCR 18, Vote
49, 3/15/05, Failed 50-50, D:44-0, R:5-50, I:1-0; S.Amdt.144 to SCR 18,
Vote 47, 3/15/05, Failed 45-55, D:44-0, R:0-55, I:1-0; Vote No. 56, SCR 86,
4/1/98, motion passed 51-49 (R 49-6, D 2-43); Vote No. 77, SCR 86, 4/1/98,
motion passed 50-48 (R 49-5, D 1-43)]
McCain Voted Against Protecting Social Security Over Several Years. In
2003 Senator McCain voted to use Social Security to pay off federal debt.
In 2001, McCain opposed a move that would reduce upper-bracket tax cuts and
create a strategic reserve for Social Security. In the same year, McCain
voted against a proposal that would have created lockboxes to protect
Social Security and Medicare. [(Vote 201, HJR 51, 5/23/2003, Passed 52-46 D
1-45 R 51-0 I 0-1); (Vote 145, (Motion rejected 41-57: R 0-48; D 41-9 (ND
36-5, SD 5-4)), HR 1836, Senate RPC, 5/22/01); (Vote 22, (Motion rejected
53- 47: R 3-47; D 50-0 (ND 41-0, SD 9-0)), S. Amdt. 29, Senate RPC,
3/13/01)]
ROMNEY FLIP-FLOPS, SETTLES ON BUSH'S FAILED PLAN
Romney Does NOT Have a Plan to Fix Social Security; Might Consider
Cutting Social Security Benefits. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said,
"Governor Romney has not put out a specific plan with regard to Social
Security, but he has stated his opposition to raising taxes." Fehrnstrom
said Romney might consider cutting benefits to "high income individuals,"
but Romney hasn't said who fits that definition. [Boston Globe, 10/15/07]
Romney Praised Personal Accounts for Social Security. Mitt Romney
supported the notion of personal accounts for Social Security recipients, a
key component of President Bush's Social Security reform plan that failed
in Congress. Romney said it would be a good idea to use the Social Security
trust fund to allow personal accounts, which could earn higher rates of
return for beneficiaries. Romney said, "Personal accounts would be a big
plus." [New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/7/07]
THOMPSON SUPPORTS BUSH'S PLAN AND WANTS TO GO EVEN FURTHER
Thompson's Plan For Social Security Would Results In A Loss of Benefits
For Retirees. Thompson's plan for "saving" Social Security is to replace
the current system of indexing to wages "with a system indexed to the
growth in inflation, which typically grows at a lower rate than wages,"
which would mean that "now-promised benefits could be cut for some workers
by 10 percent in the short term and possibly much more in the longer term."
Thompson's campaign acknowledged this and even provided an example: "a
$40,000-per-year worker born in 1975 would receive $1,562 per month under
the current system, compared with a $1,424 a month under Thompson's
proposal." [Boston Globe, 10/15/07]
Thompson's Benefit Cuts Plan Would Most Adversely Affect Low Income
Workers...And Cause Poverty Among the Elderly. According to the
Congressional Budget Office, if Thompson's plan were enacted, "would have
benefits 24 percent lower than promised under the current system if the
change were implemented next year. Those eligible for benefits in 2050
would receive 40 percent less." In addition, the change Thompson is
proposing "would be hard on lower-income workers, who rely heavily or
entirely on Social Security in retirement." According to the Congressional
Research Service, "if we were doing what Thompson wants, there would be 10
million elderly Americans living in poverty today instead of just three
million." [Washington Post, 10/12/07; MSNBC, 10/11/07]
Thompson Supported Bush's Failed Social Security Plan And Co-Sponsored
Legislation To Create Personal Savings Accounts. Fred Thompson vigorously
supports President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. In 2000, when
speaking to a group of Tennessee Republicans, he "applauded Bush for his
plan to change Social Security," and in 2001 he appeared on CNN and
defended the president's plan as providing a better return in the long run.
In 1999, Fred Thompson co-sponsored legislation that would allow Americans
"to divert a portion of their payroll taxes to a personal savings account."
[Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN), 8/22/00; CNN's Wolf Blitzer Reports,
3/24/01; Fred Thompson Weekly Senate Column, 5/28/99,
http://web.archive.org/web/19990902113121/thompson.senate.gov/052899.html]
Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee,
http://www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or
candidate's committee.
SOURCE Democratic National Committee
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CONTACT:
Stacie Paxton or Caroline Ciccone,
+1-202-863-8148, both of the DNC
