June 7 Social Security Reform Discussion with College Students and Current, Former Congressional Leaders Seeks to Move the Dialogue Forward
Leaders from both parties met with college students today on Capitol Hill to discuss the future of Social Security and current reform options. Participants included Senator Rick Santorum (PA), Congressmen Jim Kolbe (AZ), Congressman Sam Johnson (TX), as well as former Congressman Jim Slattery (KS). The event was hosted by former Congressmen Tim Penny (MN) and Charlie Stenholm (TX), senior advisors to For Our Grandchildren, a nonpartisan Social Security reform and education project.
Both students and congressional leaders expressed hope that meaningful dialogue will follow as Congress debates Social Security reform. Following the discussion, each Member of Congress received a hand-delivered For Our Grandchildren coffee mug to remind them of the need for meaningful dialogue about strengthening Social Security for today's retirees and future generations. An insert in each of the mugs read: "We urge Members of Congress to do the right thing and exceed expectations by moving forward in a bipartisan way. We urge them to contact their colleagues across the aisle and invite them to have coffee and conversation on how to fix Social Security."
"Social Security: Coffee and Conversation is an honest effort to move beyond partisan politics and discuss the future of Social Security with those who have such an enormous stake in this dialogue-America's young people," said Penny, who served on the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security and is the advisory board chair of For Our Grandchildren."
Stenholm added, "However we choose to address Social Security's long-term financing problems, it is cheaper and easier to act now than to wait. Those who have alternate reform plans are obliged to put their ideas on the table."
Participating college students include members of Students for Saving Social Security (SSSS), a grassroots network of students at more than 90 campuses nationwide. Opinion polls have shown that America's young are concerned about the long-term viability of the Social Security program and many want the option of personal savings accounts to be part of Social Security reform. "Whichever reform options are adopted, the effort needs to begin with honest and open dialogue," said SSSS co-founder Jonathan Swanson.
For Our Grandchildren is a national nonpartisan and non-profit organization working to inform Americans about the looming problems facing Social Security and the options available for reform.
For more information about For Our Grandchildren, visit http://www.forourgrandchildren
Source: For Our Grandchildren
CONTACT: Mark Mahon of Himle Horner, +1-952-897-8224
Web site: http://www.forourgrandchildren