Show Panel to Start Writing I 4 I II Social Security Bill Jonathon The Washington Post Five months after President Bush launched his drive to overhaul Social Security the difficult if not impossible task of drafting legislation begins Tuesday when the Senate Finance Committee holds the first hearing on options to secure Social Security's future With a cast of Social Security experts well-known well in policy circles the actual hearing is unlikely to produce produce produce pro pro- duce fireworks But outside the hearing room both sides of the Social Security divide are treating the event like a turning point in the war over Social Security's future This is Bushs Bush's opening salvo in the Congress and we intend to meet him toe to toe said Eleanor Holmes Norton D the District of Columbia's delegate to the House Liberal activists opposed to Bushs Bush's proposal to add private investment accounts to the system plan to canvass canvass canvass can can- vass Washington area Metro stations and other public sites all weekend Monday they plan a Capitol Hill news conference with self- self identified Republican voters who oppose personal accounts In New York Democratic senators nn and a n bevy of Wall Street executives executives executives tives are to highlight what they perceive as the danger of investing Social Security payroll taxes in stocks Then on Tuesday opposition opposition opposition tion groups backed by the entire Democratic Jt leadership leader leader- J ship hip in Congress 1 will hold hold- what bill gas as la a major rally to mark a national day of unity to protect Social Security Weve won the battle for public opinion said Brad Woodhouse spokesman for Americans United to Protect Social Security an umbrella opposition group backed by labor and liberal interest groups But the beginning of these hearings really marks a new phase in this war Business groups are countering countering countering coun coun- with their own Supporters of private private private vate accounts organized by bythe bythe bythe the business-backed business Alliance for Worker Retirement Security plan to hold a Capitol Hill rally Tuesday at the same time opponents will be gathering Beth Solomon a spokeswomen spokeswomen spokeswomen spokes spokes- women for the National Association f for r L Manufacturers who i is detailed to the Social Security initiative called it ita ita ita a kickoff for their inside the Beltway advocacy campaign But the real work is going on behind the scenes said Derrick A. A Max the alliances alliance's executive director Account supporters stepped efforts last ir P r J week trying to find a consensus consensus consensus con con- that includes private accounts Its not about showman showman- ship Its It's about hard work Max said Beneath all the noise it is unclear whether Bush has been able to shift the political political cal landscape in his favor Several public opinion polls forthe forthe for forthe increasing concern ii show shoy the future of Social Security Heightening that concern was a key goal of the administrations administration's administrations administration's administrations administration's admin admin- ongoing Social Security blitz And some including The ine polls Washington Posts Post's have repeatedly shown majority the idea of for support investing some Social Security taxes in stocks and nd bonds j 1 f I But those same polls show support for a Social Security proposal tied to the presidents president's presidents president's presidents president's dents dent's name slipping to new lows A memo released Friday by Democratic strategists Stan Greenberg and James Carville cited backing backing- for the Bush proposal proposal proposal pro pro- at 34 percent Support for or the presidents president's Social Security initiative has collapsed the memo said Last weeks week's stock-market stock roller-coaster roller ride has only heightened fears about allowing workers to convert some of of- their traditional Social Security benefits to investment returns from stocks and bonds Democrats say Such numbers have not spooked Bush After a White House meeting with lawmakers Wednesday the president took Rep Charles B. B Rangel N. D-N. D Y aside to tell him how well his 60 stops in 60 days tour is going Rangel recalled Then Bush warned that voters voters voters vot vot- ers would punish members of Congress in 2006 if they failed to act on Social Security's term long-term lems That is not how progress has been portrayed Rangel said he responded I told him if he is right the press has not been very kind to h. h him Bush also summoned Sen Kent Conrad D a Finance Committee member and potential swing vote to the White House on Wednesday to discuss Social Security Conrad countered that Social Security y ys y's s should Me e f tackled sk i j- j Js i as 3 as part ofa ora ofa to the current budget and trade deficits and the far larger problem of Medicare's looming short short- fall After four tax cuts in four years Bush also must be willing to address revenue revenue revenue rev rev- Conrad told him Ive taken the consistent position that I could not support accounts financed by massive debt or steep benefit reductions Conrad said Friday If you look at atthe atthe atthe the presidents president's plan it really does both After his own overtures to Democrats failed Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. E Grassley R-Iowa R said last week he will move forward with Social Security legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion hoping to push a vate-accounts vate plan out of his committee this summer on a party-line party vote if sary Th Thit That t would u be he a change u from the committees committee's traditional traditional traditional bipartisan comity but there is no guarantee Grassley can even do that Sen Olympia J. J Snowe R- R Maine has been unwavering in her opposition to diverting diverting diverting divert divert- ing Social Security taxes to personal accounts a position position position tion underscored Friday by Snowe aides And two other r H F Finance nance Committee Republicans Gordon Smith Ore and Craig Thomas Wyo have expressed Supporters and opponents of the presidents president's ideas say Grassley's determination will help the White House cause by ramping up pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure for compromise It keeps it from being dead dead dead Rangel said Max was a little more positive Theres a big difference difference difference dif dif- dif dif- ference between what people people people peo peo- are saying publicly and what people are saying privately privately privately he said insisting Democrats are that even ready to make a deal I I think Grassley is absolutely right to move forward I I l |