Read Administration officials' reports from the road.

< BACK

August || July || June || May || April || March

Monday, August 15, 2005

Labor Secretary Chao Celebrates Social Security’s 70th Anniversary In Cleveland, OH

Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao traveled to Ohio today to celebrate Social Security’s 70th anniversary and highlight the need to strengthen it for future generations. The Greater Cleveland Restaurant Association and The National Restaurant Association hosted the event in Cleveland, where Secretary Chao and guests partook of 70th anniversary cake in honor of the popular retirement program and also discussed President Bush’s proposals for strengthening Social Security for the next 70 years and beyond, including voluntary personal accounts to give our younger workers a better deal and a progressive benefit growth to strengthen Social Security’s solvency.

Secretary Chao said, “Social Security has provided generations of seniors a better quality of life and today's young Americans deserve no less from the system they pay into… That is why President Bush is working so hard to strengthen the program so that 70 years from now Americans can still celebrate Social Security for enabling our seniors to live with dignity and peace of mind.”

Click Here To Read The Cleveland Plain-Dealer Story.
Click Here To Read The Press Release.

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

U.S. Treasurer Anna Cabral discusses Social Security in San Antonio, TX

The Lonestar State welcomed one of the Treasury Department's top officials today when the U.S. Treasurer Anna Cabral stopped by to participate in a discussion with members of the San Antonio business community. The roundtable discussion, hosted by The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce highlighted President Bush's efforts to strengthen and preserve Social Security for current and future generations. Cabral met with 40 local business leaders, highlighting the president's initiatives on voluntary personal retirement accounts that create a better deal for future beneficiaries.

Sunday, August 14, 2005 marks the 70th anniversary of the creation of Social Security. “Social Security's 70th anniversary reminds us not only of how far we have come, but also that we have the opportunity and obligation to strengthen the system for our children and grandchildren,” Treasurer Cabral said. “Refusing to offer solutions is not an option. Social Security is too important not to act. The future of our children and grandchildren depends on it.”

Wednesday, August 3, 2005

President George W. Bush discusses Social Security in Grapevine, TX

Today, President Bush traveled to Grapevine, TX and talked with ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) about the need to fix the problems facing Social Security.

“Congress needs to continue debating Social Security. Let me tell you about what I think my job description is. I think my job is to confront problems, not pass them on to future Presidents and future Congresses. I know that's what the American people expect of their leaders. And I see a problem in Social Security.”

“So my first question to members of Congress is, how can you go back to your districts, when you look at the facts, and stand up in front of young workers and look them in the eye and say, man, the future is bright for you, knowing full well somebody is going to be paying payroll taxes into the system that's going broke? I certainly can't do that. And that's why I stood up in front of the Congress and said, we've got a problem, let's work together to fix it -- and have gone around the country describing to the people the nature of the problem. The system is going broke is what is the problem.”

“We've got a lot of politics in Washington these days, though. People don't want to discuss the idea. It's kind of zero-sum up there when it comes to big issues. By the way, as we're talking about how to make the system permanently fixed, seems like to me now is the time to make sure it turns out to be a better deal for younger workers, too. I strongly believe that younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own money and put it in a personal savings account, so they can watch their money grow at a rate greater than that which the government can grow their money, a personal account they call their own, a personal account the government cannot spend, a personal account they can pass on to whomever they want.”

Click here to read the transcript.