Hurricane Politics: Disaster Relief and Social Security

Will Bush Use Disaster Relief to Justify Social Security Changes?

Federal disaster relief following Hurricane Katrina will cost billions of dollars, and is expected to further increase the Federal budget deficit (estimated at $331 billion this year, before costs of disaster relief).

Talking with the press about the cost of disaster relief following Hurricane Katrina, White House deputy press secretary Trent Duffy said that providing disaster relief increases the need to change Social Security.

Duffy's comment has people wondering if the Bush administration will use the cost of disaster relief--and its effect on the already huge Federal budget deficit--as an excuse to push through its agenda for partial privatization of Social Security.

How would Bush's privatization plan for Social Security affect the budget deficit? Read Controversial Social Security Plan Could Increase Budget Deficit Up to $2 Trillion.

For information on Social Security, including the current problems, how privatization would work, and changes to Social Security would affect you, see Social Security Benefits: Frequently Asked Questions.