GOP Senators Vote for Koch-Funded Architect of Social Security Privatization

This morning, GOP Senators Pat Toomey, Richard Burr, Rob Portman and Chuck Grassley voted to reconfirm Charles Blahous to the Social Security Board of Trustees. Here’s a few facts about the man these Senators just voted to serve as a public trustee for Social Security –

 

• Blahous is recognized as one of the leading voices for advocating to privatize Social Security and served as the Executive Director of a commission under President George W. Bush that tried to privatize the program
• Blahous has worked at a Koch-funded think tank for years. The think tank, the Mercatus Center, has been described as “a lobbying group disguised as a disinterested academic program”
• In the past six years, Blahous has published multiple articles issuing fearmongering warnings that Social Security is in need of immediate reform

 

“Senators Toomey, Burr, Portman and Grassley irresponsibly voted for a man that led the charge to privatize Social Security, which would undermine the retirement security for our seniors and future retirees across the country,” said DSCC spokesperson Sam Lau. “It’s unfortunately no surprise that these Senators are supporting a Koch-funded nominee – they’ve repeatedly shown their interests lie with the Kochs and the wealthy few and not with the people they were elected to represent.”