Max Baucus: “Mr. President my colleagues are not being fooled. This is privatization of Social Security. Turn to page 29, paragraph…”

“Mr. President my colleagues are not being fooled. This is privatization of Social Security. Turn to page 29, paragraph 3. It so provides. We have already gone down the road on privatization of Social Security. The so-called surplus that the Senator referred to is just to privatize Social Security. The American public said no to privatizing Social Security. The President has realized that it is a bad idea. The Congress should realize it. It is a bad idea. The AARP sure knows it is a bad idea. I have a letter from the AARP. Let me read from it. They say: AARP strongly opposes this attempt to resurrect a proposal that the American public has soundly rejected. This is privatization of Social Security, pure and simple. The Senate should reject it as the American people have rejected it. I ask unanimous consent that the letter be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: AARP Washington, DC, March 16, 2006. Hon. Harry Reid, Minority Leader, Capitol Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Senator Reid: The Senate will vote on an amendment to S. Con. Res. 83 offered by Senator DeMint to use annual Social Security surpluses to create private accounts. AARP strongly opposes this attempt to resurrect a proposal that the American public has soundly rejected. AARP believes this proposal has serious consequences for our nation's overall fiscal health and Social Security's long-term outlook.…”