Etheridge Delivers Democratic Radio Address on Social Security

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

June 17, 2005

Contact: Sara Lang
Phone: (202) 225-4531

Etheridge Delivers Democratic Radio Address on Social Security

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), a senior member of the Agriculture Committee and co-chair of the House Democrats' Rural Working Group, will deliver the Democratic Radio Address tomorrow. The address, which airs nationally following the President's weekly radio address, will focus on the President's risky Social Security privatization scheme and outline the damaging effect it would have on Americans in rural communities.

"Social Security represents the best of America's values," Etheridge said. "It is a promise to Americans who work hard and play by the rules that they will be able to retire with decency and dignity. But in recent months, Social Security and the benefits that American workers have earned have come under attack. President Bush is proposing a plan to privatize Social Security and dramatically cut guaranteed benefits. Protecting the promise of Social Security is especially important to our farm families and rural communities."

A new report by the Institute for America's Future finds that rural communities depend on income from Social Security nearly twice as much as non-rural communities. For example, the Institute found that Social Security accounts for 8.5 percent of the income in rural North Carolina, compared to 5.5 percent in the urban areas of the state. Additionally, rural communities have a higher percentage of seniors, as 20 percent of rural Americans are 60 years old or older. More than 90 percent of counties in America with high senior populations are rural counties.

This week Congressman Etheridge helped launch Rural Americans for a Secure Future, a national coalition of farm and rural advocacy groups, including the League of Rural Voters, the National Farmers Union and the Center for Rural Affairs concerned about proposals that would privatize Social Security and slash retirement and disability benefits. This effort represents the most significant and organized activity to date to educate the public and the Congress about the importance of Social Security in rural communities and to protect it from privatization schemes or other proposals which would undermine the most important safety net in rural areas for retirees, survivors and the disabled.

Major radio networks around the country, including AP, ABC, NPR, CBS Radio, CNN Radio, C-SPAN, Armed Forces Radio Network, American Urban Radio Network, Voice of America Radio Network, BBC Radio, CBC Radio, and Australian Broadcasting Corporation, will carry Etheridge's radio address at 11:06 a.m. Saturday.