The CBC "Message to America" is distributed nationwide to the American Urban Radio Network's (AURN) affiliate stations.

WHO:        U.S. Representative Robert C. Scott (D-Va.)

WHEN:      Saturday, September 16, 2006; 12:06 p.m. EST

WHERE:   American Urban Radio Network Affiliate Stations

"Hello, I’m Congressman Bobby Scott of the 3^rd District of Virginia, speaking to you today on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. Today’s subject is our federal budget and its effect on Social Security.

"When President Clinton left office in 2001, the federal budget was projected to have a $5.6 trillion surplus over 10 years. Thanks to the policies of the Bush administration, those same 10 years are now projected to run a budget deficit of $2.9 trillion, a total $8.5 trillion budget deterioration.

"The projected interest on that additional debt for 2011 alone is over $250 billion, an amount more than enough to hire every unemployed American drawing unemployment with a $25 thousand a year job.

"Of the $8.5 trillion deterioration, only $300 billion ($0.3 trillion) was spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Again, that’s an $8.5 trillion deterioration, and only $0.3 trillion attributable to the wars. The real reasons for this deficit are the massive tax cuts for the wealthy and the reckless budget priorities of the Republican Administration, including cuts in social services, healthcare and veterans benefits.

"The CBC has offered Congress and the American people an alternative budget that is more fiscally responsible than the Republican budget and still provides more services to the majority of Americans.

"The CBC budget would spend more on education and job training programs, social services, veteran’s benefits and services, healthcare, housing and community development, and other important priorities.

"The CBC budget would also increase funding for homeland security grants, especially for our nations under-protected ports. Even with all this spending, the CBC alternative manages to balance the budget in five years, which the Republican budget does not do.

"Along with making sure the federal budget improves the lives of all Americans, the CBC also believes that if we do not control the budget today, we will not be able to afford Social Security in the future.

"Over the next 75 years, Social Security faces a deficit of over $4 trillion. Remember, the projected surplus under President Clinton was $5.6 trillion, more than enough to solve the Social Security shortfall. But President Bush’s fiscal recklessness spent the surplus, and now all the president has to offer is a risky privatization scheme for Social Security.

"The CBC has offered a better choice because we believe that the first step toward addressing the challenges in Social Security and the other priorities of the 21st century is to get our financial house in order.