Nationwide, FreedomWorks Turns Out for PRAs

From sea to shining sea, FreedomWorks activists are showing their support for Personal Retirement Accounts (PRAs) that workers own and control. As President Bush tours the nation in a series of town halls on Social Security, FreedomWorks members are showing up at every turn to support his plan. In eight states and the District of Columbia, FreedomWorks is helping the President spread the message: it’s time to create Social Security Personal Retirement Accounts.

The President’s Social Security reform tour kicked off in Washington, D.C., on January 11th. Donning pro-reform stickers and t-shirts, activists from North Carolina boarded a charter bus to travel to Washington, forming part of an 80 person FreedomWorks contingent at the event. Even better, two FreedomWorks members discussed Social Security reform on stage with President Bush! Washington State FreedomWorks member Scott Ballard expounded on the benefits of ownership with the President, and Utah member Josh Wright, also told the President that he supports PRAs. In February, Josh was even invited back to Washington to sit in the President’s box during the State of the Union Address.

FreedomWorks’ presence was not limited to Washington, D.C. As the President tours the nation, FreedomWorks is there! Activists attend events on February 3rd in Fargo, North Dakota, and Great Falls, Montana, and February 4th in Little Rock, Arkansas, Tampa, Florida, and Omaha, Nebraska. At every turn in the President’s schedule, FreedomWorks members were there to enthusiastically cheer President Bush and his plan to save Social Security. At each location, FreedomWorks also explained the benefits of PRAs to other attendees and distributed information booklets on Social Security reform to the assembled crowds.

In Florida, FreedomWorks brought 100 members from all across the state. Equipped with Social Security reform stickers and educational literature, these activists joined a crowd that largely supported personal accounts that workers own and control. FreedomWorks member Carlos Huertas even appeared on stage with the President as a town hall participant and explained how personal accounts will provide workers with better returns by harnessing the power of the market.

We’re just getting started. The following week, FreedomWorks brought a massive grassroots army of 300 people to the February 10th town hall in Raleigh, North Carolina. The activists, all of them staunch supporters of the President’s plan, boarded buses as early as 4:00 in the morning to get to the event. FreedomWorks member Cyndi Godfrey participated on stage with the President, and a number of activists were interviewed by local radio and television stations.

As the President continues this series of Social Security town halls, FreedomWorks members will be at every stop. No doubt, grassroots education and mobilization by organizations like FreedomWorks will be the only way to spur Congress into action and make Personal Retirement Accounts a reality for all American workers.