Tom Reynolds acting like Tom Daschle
By Students for Saving Social Security Chris Schrimpf (09/16/05)
News sources reported yesterday that Republican Congressman Tom Reynolds, who sits on the Ways and Means Committee and also chairs the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee urged his colleagues to table Social Security reform for this Congress. Such a move would end any chances of reform for years to come.
Reynolds comments are troubling for several reasons. First they came in a closed door meeting that is not supposed to be reported on by the media. Clearly House Republicans don’t share the White House views on keeping internal debates just that; internal.
More importantly some House Republicans seemingly do not share President Bush’s desire to create a better American society through ownership. Reynolds reportedly said that he did not want to make vulnerable Republican candidates “walk the plank” on Social Security. It seems that Reynolds would rather push future generations over the edge, than lead on an issue Republicans can win on.
News reports said that Reynolds and strategists did not think Republicans could run on Social Security. Reynolds should look at some different polls. All polls indicate that the vast majority of American recognize that Social Security is facing a crisis and something should be done. What’s more polls show that two-thirds of young Americans favor Personal Accounts. If Reynolds cares more about creating a lasting majority than he does about just winning the next election he should pay careful attention to the polling on young people. They are the ones that will be making electoral decisions in the years and decades to come.
Even if Reynolds plays to only win the next election, one must ask why bother? Why bother to create a majority if once you have one, you do not act? Congress currently has a mandate to act. They should or they do not deserve their majority.
By ducking the issue Congressmen like Tom Reynolds are facilitating a do-nothing Congress. Nothing will alienate the electorate more than failing to act; just ask Tom Daschle.
Tom Reynolds should remember that when a citizen is elected to Congress they are expected to govern, and not run only for the next election.
Chris Schrimpf is a member of Students for Saving Social Security.
(Printer friendly version) Email: Students for Saving Social Security
