ADVISORY

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact: (202) 225-1721
March 25, 1998
No. FC-12

Archer Announces Hearing on the Use of an
Expert Panel to Design Long-Range Social Security Reform

    Congressman Bill Archer (R-TX), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Committee will hold a hearing on the merits of establishing a bipartisan panel of experts to design long-range Social Security reform and how best to engage the American public in the process. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 1, 1998, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

    In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:

    The Social Security program impacts the lives of nearly all Americans. This year, the Social Security Administration will pay benefits to nearly 50 million retired and disabled workers and to their dependents and survivors. Nearly every worker and his or her employer pays Social Security taxes. Yet in the future, this vital program will start to run short of benefit demands.

    The problem of Social Security insolvency is not unprecedented. In 1983, Congress enacted a variety of measures to address similar problems that the program was facing. These measures, in large part, were developed by a National Commission on Social Security Reform. Historically, the Congress has often relied on expert panels to thoughtfully and carefully deliberate over complex issues and report back to the Congress with a single set of recommendations for a solution.

    Forecasts of future Social Security insolvency and suggested remedies are being discussed more and more in the media and at kitchen tables all across the country. Americans want to learn more and share their views with their elected officials.

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

    The Committee will receive the views of Members of Congress, along with Social Security experts, on the merits of establishing a bipartisan panel of experts to design long-range Social Security reform and how best to engage the American public in the process.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

    Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should submit at least six (6) single-space legal-size copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in ASCII DOS Text or WordPerfect 5.1 format only, with their name, address, and hearing date noted on a label, by the close of business, Wednesday, April 15, 1998, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. If those filing written statements wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing, they may deliver 300 additional copies for this purpose to the Committee office, room 1102 Longworth House Office Building, at least one hour before the hearing begins.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

    Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

    1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be typed in single space on legal-size paper and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. At the same time written statements are submitted to the Committee, witnesses are now requested to submit their statements on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in ASCII DOS Text or WordPerfect 5.1 format. Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

    2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

    3. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.

    4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, full address, a telephone number where the witness or the designated representative may be reached and a topical outline or summary of the comments and recommendations in the full statement. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.

    The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.

Symbol to Show Committee Seeks to Assist Persons with Disabilities at the Committee's facilities.The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.