Democratic Leadership Reportedly Threatens Bipartisan Reform Efforts

February 16, 2005

According to Rep. Paul Ryan, who has sponsored personal account legislation to reform Social Security, efforts to build bipartisan support for PRAs are being systematically thwarted by the Democratic leadership. From an item in the National Journal's CongressDaily, "Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who spoke at a Cato Institute event, said fear of retribution form their own leadership was scaring Democrats away from his proposal."

"'I have been floating it to Democrats,' said Ryan. 'Each of them replied to me, "I like what you're doing, I like this bill, I think it's the right way to go, but my party leadership will break my back. The retribution they are promising against us is as great as I've ever seen, and I can't do it."'

Rep. Ryan spoke at Cato's recent two-day conference on a panel entitled "On the Hill: Proposals for Individual Accounts," along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. Sam Johnson, Rep. Jim Kolbe, Sen. Jim DeMint, and Rep. Clay Shaw. To hear this and other panels from the conference, click here.

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