Norton All-Ages Town Hall to Take on Controversial Bush Social Security Privatization Proposal

NORTON ALL-AGES TOWN HALL TO TAKE ON CONTROVERSIAL BUSH SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION PROPOSAL

Washington, DC--Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton will host a Town Hall Meeting on Privatizing Social Security for Young People, Adults and Senior Citizens on Monday, February 28, 2005 from 11 AM to 1 PM at Howard University's Blackburn Center. Norton chose Howard in order to include young people, who will be deeply affected, and to make residents aware that privatizing social security will hurt people of all ages and in all sectors of the population, including retirees, people close to retirement, adults of every age, the disabled, and children and students receiving survivor benefits. Speakers will include former Rep. Barbara Kennelly, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, who was a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, Vice President of Research and Programs for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Participants also will hear a young D.C. resident speak about "How Social Security Helped Me," and opening remarks from Romaine Thomas, President of the D.C. AARP and from Conrad Woody, President of the Howard University Student Association. The discussion on the President's privatization proposals and their impact on residents will be followed by a question and answer period. Members of AARP, and students from Banneker Senior High School and other students will join Howard students.

"I am joining more than 200 fellow Democratic Members who are holding town meetings across the country to ensure that Americans learn how privatization would hurt each and every one of them across the board, and would make the financial problems confronting Social Security funds worse, not better," Norton said. "Most Americans do not know, for example that everyone's Social Security benefits would be cut, even those not choosing private accounts, and that the money invested goes to the government, with the recipient entitled only to the interest. And, President Bush never mentions what would happen to one-third of recipients who rely on Social Security benefits but are not retirees."

More than 72,000 residents receive Social Security. Norton said that the forum will show how anyone "who has ever been in the workforce would be profoundly and negatively affected by Social Security privatization." In addition, many who cannot work temporarily or permanently or who lose a breadwinner are often unaware that "Social Security is a lifesaving benefit for millions who could not foresee that they would need Social Security."

http://www.norton.house.gov/issues2.cfm?id=10155