welcome to the "Why Reform Now" discussion

[Carolyn Lukensmeyer <carolyn@adss.org>]

National Dialogue participants:

After an exciting first week in the National Dialogue, I am pleased to 
welcome all of you to our "Why Reform Now" discussion. 

The House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means is the precise 
committee that will lead the Social Security reform efforts in Congress.  
We are very honored that four key members of the Committee on Ways and 
Means are joining us for this discussion:

	* Chairman Bill Archer (R-TX),
	* Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO),
	* Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA),
	* Rep. Karen Thurman (D-FL).

Congressman Bill Archer represents the seventh district of Texas.  I 
would like to acknowledge Congressman Archer's strong leadership on the 
issue of Social Security in his role as Chairman of the Ways and Means 
Committee.  Chairman Archer has been a strong and consistent voice for 
the importance of bipartisan leadership on the reform of the Social 
Security system.  In an effort to strengthen and save Social Security for 
future generations, the Chairman will soon be introducing reform 
legislation with Congressman Clay Shaw (R-FL), the Chairman of the Ways 
and Means Subcommittee on Social Security.  

Joining him in the Republican perspective on Social Security reform is 
Congressman Kenny Hulshof of Missouri's ninth district.  In his first 
term of Congress,  Representative Hulshof served as President of the 
Republican Freshman Class.  Congressman Hulshof ably represented the 
Republican viewpoint on Social Security reform at the first of President 
Clinton's national town hall meetings in Kansas City in 1998.

Turning to the Democratic members of the Ways and Means Committee,  also 
joining us in the dialogue is Congressman Xavier Becerra of the 30th 
district in Southern California. Representative Becerra has been 
extraordinarily active on the issue of Social Security, holding many 
forums on the issue in his own district.  The Congressman is strongly 
committed to ensuring that the impact on minorities is an open part of 
the discussion.  Representative Becerra skillfully represented the 
perspective of the Hispanic population at the president's final 1998 
town hall meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Representative Karen Thurman of Florida's fifth district is only the 
sixth woman to serve in the 200-year history of the Ways and Means 
Committee. Having served on the committee since 1996, the Congresswoman 
has established herself as a strong voice on the issue of Social Security 
reform.  Congresswoman Thurman is dedicated to ensuring that the impacts 
of Social Security reform on women and the elderly are given strong 
consideration in the debate.  

We are delighted to have Chairman Archer and his colleagues from the 
House Committee on Ways and Means with us in the National Dialogue, and 
we look forward to learning their unique points of view on the reasons 
for reforming Social Security now.

I encourage each of you in this discussion to become fully involved by 
asking questions and taking time to develop and present your point of 
view.  Thanks again for your time and your commitment to the democratic 
process.


Carolyn Lukensmeyer
Executive Director
Americans Discuss Social Security
http://www.adss.org
carolyn@adss.org