FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact: (202) 225-9263
April 4, 2000
No. SS-15
Congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr., (R-FL), Chairman, Subcommittee on Social Security of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on efforts to inform the public about the Social Security program. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, April 11, 2000, in room B-318 Rayburn House Office Building, beginning at 3:00 p.m.
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:
Americans need to have a basic understanding of the Social Security program, its benefits, and its financing in order to make informed decisions about Social Security's future and their own retirement planning. This information may be provided through a variety of sources.
For example, beginning last year, the Social Security Administration has been mailing annual Social Security statements to all workers age 25 and older to inform them about the Social Security program and to help them plan for retirement. The statement provides workers with estimates of their potential Social Security benefits based on their earnings. The statement also provides workers with a record of their earnings and a fact sheet about the Social Security program.
Another important source of information about the Social Security program is the Board of Trustees' annual report on the financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. This report includes a great deal of information about Social Security's financing and the projected economic and demographic trends which affect the program's future. The annual report is an important source of data on the Social Security program.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Shaw stated: "The mailing of Social Security statements is an unprecedented, personalized outreach to all American workers about Social Security and what it means to their retirement security. American workers have the right to know as much as possible about their financial future, including the amount of Social Security benefits they have earned and any factors that may qualify their confidence in getting their full benefits. This hearing will examine what Social Security is telling taxpayers, and whether that information is accurate, understandable, and useful."
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The hearing will examine the information available to the public about the Social Security program, its benefits and its future financing. The hearing will also examine recommended changes to this information and the way information is delivered to the public.
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 six (6) single-spaced copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or MS Word format, with their name, address, and hearing date noted on a label, by the close of business, Tuesday, April 25, 2000, 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 200 additional copies for this purpose to the Subcommittee on Social Security office, room B-316 Rayburn House Office Building, by close of business the day before the hearing.
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 submitted on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or MS Word format, typed in single space and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. 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, company, address, telephone and fax numbers where the witness or the designated representative may be reached. 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.
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.