Senior Americans to Capitol Hill: Stop the ’Raid’ on the Trust Fund!; Group Releases Trust Fund Survey

SPRINGFIELD, Va. -- The National Association for Uniformed Services (NAUS) has announced the results of its Trust Fund Survey program. The surveys were included in the public education and grassroots lobbying appeals of its Campaign to Save Social Security and Medicare, an award- winning program which advocates a Social Security Lockbox Law.

The survey results should come as no surprise to observers of the Social Security Trust Fund. Over 90 percent of respondents agreed that the “Trust Fund should be a special reserve, which should be spent exclusively to pay current and future Social Security Benefit checks, except in very serious national emergencies.”

A similar percentage of respondents supported enactment of a Social Security Lockbox Law. The campaign is currently mailing in favor of S. 292, sponsored by Louisiana Senator Dave Vitter.

“Since 1968, Congress has spent over $1.6 Trillion from the Trust Fund on unrelated items and sometimes even wasteful spending. Of that amount, $906 Billion has been spent just since 1999. That’s more than the previous 25 years combined. This ’Raid’ must stop. This is the reason we strongly support ”The Social Security Lockbox“ Bill (S. 292). This measure would guarantee that every dollar paid into the Trust Fund stays in the Trust Fund to pay benefits, and not diverted into any other spending program or account,” said Major General William M. Matz, President of The National Association for Uniformed Services. The Survey also found that 91 percent of respondents agreed with the description of this increased ’Raid’ as “Alarming.” Until receiving the public education materials, over 60 percent were unaware that the ’Raid’ had increased dramatically since 1999.

The results reflect the opinions of those who chose to participate in the survey program. They are “a powerful demonstration that Senior Americans believe saving Social Security starts with saving the Trust Fund and you do that with a Social Security Lockbox Law,” said General Matz. NAUS and its’ Campaign to Save Social Security and Medicare have no position on so-called personal retirement accounts.

In May, the NAUS-conducted Campaign to Save Social Security and Medicare won a coveted MAXI award from the Direct Marketing Association of Washington, DC. MAXI stands for Marketing Excellence and Innovation. The winning grassroots appeal focused on the Social Security Lockbox Law, the solvency of the Trust Fund, and included the survey.

Founded in 1968, the National Association for Uniformed Services is the Service Member’s voice in government. NAUS focuses on people, those of all the Uniformed Services (Army, Marine Crops, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and the United States Public Health Service) in all grades, enlisted, warrant officer, and commissioned officer. NAUS supports legislation which will uphold the security of the United States, sustain the morale of the Armed Forces, and provide fair and equitable consideration for all members of Uniformed Services, including veterans, retirees, spouses and survivors.

Since 1993, NAUS has conducted the Campaign to Save Social Security and Medicare, a grassroots program to protect the Social Security and Medicare benefits of all Senior Americans and to fight any cuts to benefits and Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the current or future generations of retirees.

Contact Information

Chuck Partridge

Media Contact

National Association for Uniformed Services

Contact via E-mail