[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6124]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE PRESIDENT'S SOCIAL SECURITY PLAN

  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, the President says he is going to change 
his tack; he is no longer going to scare the people. He is going to 
give them a solution.
  This weekend, Gary Trudeau's renowned ``Doonesbury'' performed an 
important public service. It codified the recent words of the President 
describing his Social Security plan. Here it is. To ensure that every 
American has equal access to his remarks, let me enter ``Doonesbury'' 
into the Record and read some of the President's remarks.
  This is a direct quote from the President of the United States. He is 
explaining the plan he has: ``There's a series of parts of the formula 
that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different 
cost drivers, affecting those, changing those with personal accounts, 
the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be or closer 
delivered to what has been promised.''
  Does anybody know what he is talking about? This President is halfway 
through his 60-day barnstorming tour to gain support for his Social 
Security plan. I personally hope he stays out for another 90 days.
  I think when the American people get through with listening to this 
gibberish, they will recognize that it has all been a way to deflect 
our eyes from all the problems of this society. We are to get a 
bankruptcy bill out here tomorrow. We have done nothing about Social 
Security. We have done nothing about Medicare. Come on, Mr. President.

       SEE . . . LOOK . . . COST DRIVERS! HELPS ON THE RED!
       MAKE ANY SENSE?
       THIS MUST BE SHARED!
       HEY, FOLKS--CONFUSED ABOUT THE BUSH PLAN FOR SOCIAL 
     SECURITY?
       WELL, HELP IS ON THE WAY! HERE--IN HIS OWN WORDS*--THE 
     PRESIDENT EXPLAINS!
       *TAMPA, FL 2/04/05.
       BECAUSE THE--ALL WHICH IS ON THE TABLE BEGINS TO ADDRESS 
     THE BIG COST DRIVERS. FOR EXAMPLE, HOW BENEFITS ARE 
     CALCULATE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ON THE TABLE; WHETHER OR NOT 
     BENEFITS RISE BASED UPON WAGE INCREASES OR PRICE INCREASES . 
     . .
       THERE'S A SERIES OF PARTS OF THE FORMULA THAT ARE BEING 
     CONSIDERED. AND WHEN YOU COUPLE THAT, THOSE DIFFERENT COST 
     DRIVERS, AFFECTING THOSE--CHANGING THOSE WITH PERSONAL 
     ACCOUNTS, THE IDEA IS TO GET WHAT HAS BEEN PROMISED MORE 
     LIKELY TO BE--OR CLOSER DELIVERED TO WHAT HAS BEEN PROMISED.
       DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE TO YOU? IT'S KIND OF MUDDLED.
       LOOK, THERE'S A SERIES OF THINGS THAT CAUSE THE--LIKE, FOR 
     EXAMPLE, BENEFITS ARE CALCULATED BASED UPON THE INCREASE OF 
     WAGES, AS OPPOSED TO THE INCREASE OF PRICES. SOME HAVE 
     SUGGESTED THAT WE CALCULATE--THE BENEFITS WILL RISE BASED 
     UPON INFLATION, AS OPPOSED TO WAGE INCREASES . . .
       THERE IS A REFORM THAT WOULD HELP SOLVE THE RED IF THAT 
     WERE PUT INTO EFFECT. IN OTHER WORDS, HOW FAST BENEFITS GROW, 
     HOW FAST THE PROMISED BENEFITS GROW, IF THOSE--IF THAT GROWTH 
     IS AFFECTED . . .
       . . . IT WILL HELP ON THE RED.
       'NUFF SAID!

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