The Bush administration has instructed employees in the Social Security Administration (SSA) to promote the idea that Social Security is in a crisis and that private investment accounts are the solution, two workers told the Senate Democratic Policy Committee today.   “Previously, our employees had shared information with the public about Social Security’s financial condition but had never been encouraged to support any particular ‘reform’ proposal. In fact, they were always expected to remain neutral on political and legislative matters,” testified Steve Kofahl, president of AFGE Local 3937 and regional vice president of the National Social Security Council, an AFGE affiliate, which represents workers at Social Security.   The testimony refutes recent White House assertions that SSA employees are not being used to promote privatization.   “The use of SSA resources to advocate political positions is wrong and compromises the integrity and credibility of the Social Security Administration. The credibility problem becomes even more acute, when SSA employees are directed to make political statements that are untrue or exaggerated,” testified Debbie Fredericksen, executive vice president of the National Social Security Council. “This undermines the SSA mission to provide clear, accurate and objective information to the American people about the Social Security system.”   Retirement Benefits Would Be Cut Under Bush’s Plan to Privatize Social Security President George W. Bush wants to privatize Social Security by diverting some Social Security contributions to private accounts, which would lead to benefit cuts for future retirees and threaten essential protections for people with disabilities and surviving families of the deceased, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. More than 47 million Americans currently receive Social Security benefit checks each month.   Kofahl and Fredericksen showed the committee several documents backing up their assertions, including: Official agency talking points stating, “Modernization must include individually controlled, voluntary personal retirement accounts to augment Social Security.” A SSA Tactical Plan instructing employees to “deliver message through press releases, presentations at financial planning seminars and public events” and to “look for non-traditional locations…such as outreach events at farmer’s markets, big box retail stores, etc.” A two-hour lecture to insurance and financial planning professionals by a SSA public affairs specialist. The lecture covered the July 2001 report from the Social Security Advisory Board and three options proposed by the President’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security—all of which advocated establishing private investment accounts. Last week, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) and other senior House Democrats wrote SSA Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart and condemned the use of public funds and public employees for political propaganda. “There is a pattern of propaganda by the Bush administration that must be stopped,” Pelosi and Hoyer wrote. “It has paid a conservative commentator to covertly promote No Child Left Behind, produced fake video news releases designed to look like real news reports and is using Social Security Administration employees to undermine Social Security.   “We must probe the disturbing depths of these scandals to determine how such unethical decisions are being made,” Pelosi said. “These underhanded tactics are not worthy of our great democracy. The President’s commitment to freedom around the world should extend to the freedom of the American people to live without their tax dollars being used to run a government propaganda machine.”   Bush Administration: A Pattern of Paid Propaganda Within the past month, the Bush administration has admitted paying three conservative newspaper columnists to build support for administration initiatives in education and promoting marriage. Last May, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported the Bush administration violated federal restrictions against using taxpayer money for propaganda when it distributed video “news releases” to TV stations around the country praising the drug program. In the videos, actors portray reporters. The GAO report found because viewers couldn’t tell the message came from the government, the video news releases violated restrictions against using federal funds for publicity or propaganda.   Bush has made privatizing Social Security his major domestic priority. In addition to pressuring Social Security employees to push privatization, the administration’s allies have launched a multimillion dollar election-style campaign to sell the plan. The Wall Street Journal reported this month the Republican Party is organizing supporters by setting up a points-earning system similar to frequent flier miles to solicit their e-mail support for such key Republican issues as privatizing Social Security.    Under the plan, millions of activists would get paraphernalia from the Republican National Committee for amassing points by calling talk radio shows, writing letters to newspapers and contacting elected representatives.   Meanwhile, a coalition representing Fortune 500 companies, including Boeing Co. and Pfizer Inc., announced Jan. 20 it plans to spend more than $5 million to promote Bush’s plan for private Social Security accounts. The companies plan a direct mail and TV advertising campaign across the nation to back Bush’s proposal.  

--From AFL-CIO