Social Security budget tap: $1.8 trillion

LARRY WHEELER GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON -- Democrats turned up the heat Wednesday in their quest to make Social Security a wedge issue in this fall's congressional elections.

Pouncing on a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Democratic lawmakers proclaimed that President Bush's tax cut is draining the Social Security trust fund.

The CBO analysis of the Bush administration's proposed budget for the next 10 years says the plan would draw $1.8 trillion from the Social Security trust fund surplus to balance the budget. The estimated 10-year cost of the Bush tax cut, passed with bipartisan support last year, is $1.7 trillion.

"The president's budget violates last year's promise to protect the Social Security trust fund surplus -- a promise made by Democrats, congressional Republicans and the president himself," said Rep. John Spratt Jr., D-S.C., senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri slammed his Republican counterpart, House Majority Leader Richard Armey of Texas, for offering to give Social Security recipients a certificate guaranteeing benefits.

The certificates are a sham and guarantee nothing, Gephardt said.

He also lashed out at Bush's call to create private Social Security savings accounts.

"If Enron's collapse isn't a prime argument against Social Security privatization, I don't know what is," Gephardt said.

In a House hearing called specifically to afford members a platform to air their views on Social Security, Republicans and Democrats hurled rhetorical punches in a preview of what is likely to be a campaign theme in closely contested political races in the fall.

Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fla., whose South Florida congressional district is home to large numbers of retirees, accused Democrats of criticizing the GOP without submitting a plan of their own.

"The problem is, no one is coming up with a better answer," he said.

Rep. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., accused Democrats of falling back on traditional election-year scare tactics to frighten senior citizens into believing their Social Security checks were at risk.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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