The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are appalled by your failure to publicly denounce Congressman Bill Thomas's suggestion that Congress create a "separate but equal" Social Security system that allocates benefits according to race and gender. Are we to take your silence as evidence that you agree with Congressman Thomas and are considering this outrageous notion?

Social Security now provides guaranteed benefits for all Americans no matter what your race or gender. Your privatization proposal would cut these benefits for everyone, but especially harms women and African Americans.

As President of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), we represent millions of Americans receiving Social Security benefits. And we speak for them when we urge you to stop your assault on the nation's most successful family and anti-poverty program. Without Social Security benefits, the poverty rate among older African Americans would more than double, pushing most African American seniors into poverty. And more than half of all elderly women would be poor without Social Security.

Today, Social Security keeps millions of children, parents, and grandparents out of poverty. We should be working together to strengthen this great program, not tear it down.

Congressman Thomas's suggestion that Social Security become a "separate but equal" system is deeply troubling, especially because that is exactly what your privatization plan would achieve. We strongly urge you to denounce Congressman Thomas's comments and end your drive to privatize Social Security.

Sincerely,

Julian Bond
Chairman, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Kim Gandy
President, National Organization for Women