Senator Smith: "Private Accounts Will Not Save Social Security"

Senator Gordon Smith:
“Private Accounts Will Not Save Social Security.”
Will Not Commit to Any Social Security Legislation Without Bipartisan Support.

Click here to read the full text of the Associated Press article as printed on the Corvallis Gazette-Times on August 11.
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2005/08/12/news/oregon/friore01.txt

This is his strongest statement yet in his opposition to the Bush/Republican privatization plan. It is also probably more than a coincidence that he offered this statement during the week of the 70th Anniversary of Social Security celebrations in Oregon and around the country.

We at Oregon United to Protect Social Security and our national and state coalition partners, which include numerous labor and community organizations, senior citizen groups and student activists, welcome Senator Gordon Smith’s statement that “private accounts will not save Social Security.”

This encouraging remark by the Senator follows other recent statements released by him and his senior spokespersons in which he has stated his opposition to any Social Security legislation that does not involve bi-partisan solutions.

"Right now, it’s just Republicans negotiating among Republicans, no Democrats; that means no bill," said Gordon H. Smith, R-Ore., who has insisted that any Social Security overhaul be bipartisan. He said the committee is reaching a point where it must "fish or cut bait." (Congressional Quarterly Today, 7/13/05)

But Sen. Gordon H. Smith, Oregon Republican and fellow Finance Committee member, said that strategy is foolish, especially if the bill contains elements that Democrats have already flatly rejected. "The president has already done that and colleagues have already done that, and people aren't saluting the flag right now," he said. "I don't understand how acting and failing advances the cause of reform. We have to have Democratic engagement," Mr. Smith said, predicting that will come a few years from now, when the Social Security system starts using up some of the general funds. (Washington Times, 6/9/05)

Senator Smith has also said that Social Security does not face an immediate crisis, contrary to the claims by President Bush and certain radical Republican members of Congress.

Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon is walking a fine line on proposals to change Social Security. He praises President Bush for promoting controversial private accounts but has avoided signing on to any proposals. "I need to keep my powder dry. I'm not wedded to any one thing," Smith said in an interview. And he says he sees no immediate crisis in the system that provides an economic safety net for 47 million retirees, the disabled and their survivors. "I don't know that I would describe it as urgent," Smith said. "I would describe it as the sooner, the better. I am not ideologically opposed to personal savings accounts," Smith said. "I wish everyone had one." But, he added, "President Bush has not succeeded in selling personal savings accounts" to the public. (Salem Statesman-Journal, 7/9/05)

It is clear that Oregonians like you have been making a difference in helping to slowly but surely convince Senator Gordon Smith that privatization is not the solution to fixing Social Security. He’s listening! Your calls and letters and attending events have helped – pat yourself on the back! But we can not rest on our laurels just yet. He has still said that he is not opposed to privatization of Social Security despite it being “unaffordable and political untenable.” (FOX News, 6/15/05) As the Republican pro-privatizers in Congress attempt to privatize Social Security in one last desperate attempt in the fall, they will try everything at their disposal – arm twisting, misinformation and more – to try to convince swing members like Senator Gordon Smith to ditch his state constituents to toe with the pro-privatization Republican leadership. We Oregonians need to constantly remind him that we will not tolerate privatization of Social Security, and that we will hold him accountable if he puts his constituents second to party line toeing.

Please call Senator Gordon Smith at any of his district office phone numbers below to encourage him to stand firm with you and the vast majority of his state constituents in opposing privatization of Social Security by firmly opposing any Social Security privatization bills in the fall:
• Portland: (503) 326-3386
• Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
• Eugene: (541) 465-6750
• Medford: (541) 608-9102
• Bend: (541) 318-1298