The House Monkey Wrench Gang

Dean Baker

July 01, 2005

Dean Baker is economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

After President Bush was re-elected , he told the country that he wanted to overhaul Social Security. He said he wanted to make the program fully solvent for the indefinite future. He also complained that the rates of return on Social Security were too low, so he wanted to be able to give workers a higher rate of return by investing their money in the stock market. While some of President Bush claims were inaccurate or misleading, at least he offered a positive vision of a privatized alternative to Social Security. The same cannot be said for the monkey wrench crew in the House Ways and Means Committee who are lined up behind the McCrery Bill.