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Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Digital Library Collections
This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections.
Collection: Blackwell, Morton: Files
Folder Title: Social Security (2 of 2)
Box: 24
To see more digitized collections visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library
To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection
Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected]
Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing
National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/
file
Document No. 019966SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: July 20, 1981
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
SUBJECT:
FACT SHEET ON SOCIAL SECURITY MINIMIM BENEFIT
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
JAMES
MEESE
MURPHY
BAKER
NOFZIGER
DEAVER
WILLIAMSON
STOCKMAN
WEIDENBAUM
ALLEN
CANZERI
ANDERSON
P
FULLER (For Cabinet)
BRADY
HICKEY
DOLE
HODSOLL
FIELDING
MC COY
FRIEDERSDORF
CEQ
GARRICK
OSTP
GERGEN
USTR
HARPER
ROGERS
Remarks:
Richard G. Darman
Deputy Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
(x-2702)
FACT SHEET ON SOCIAL SECURITY MINIMUM BENEFIT
The Minimum Benefit: An Obsolete Welfare Add-On
The social security minimum is an unearned benefit. It
consists of a welfare support add-on to the monthly social
security payment a recipient is entitled to from his or her
payroll tax contributions.
At the time the minimum was initiated there was not an
adequate social safety net to protect low-income elderly with
small earned benefits. Today, the Federal safety net of
Supplemental Security Income, Food Stamps and Medicaid can
provide a combined benefit of $10,600 per couple for low income
elderly -- an amount three times greater than the ,average
social security minimum benefit. Since this safety net would
replace minimum benefits dollar for dollar, the latter has
now become a pure "windfall" for recipients whose pensions
and other income exceeds the safety net floor.
The Windfall Problem Needs Correction
The average individual receiving a minimum benefit
would receive $2,122 in 1982 from the social security trust
funds. He or she would have contributed, based on typical total
lifetime earnings for such beneficiaries, less than $355 in-
social security payroll taxes.
In certain cases, minimum beneficiaries could get
$3,183 (per couple) each year by paying as little as $3 in
their entire working lifetime.
Many beneficiaries who will be eligible for minimum
benefits in 1982 at age 65 could have paid less than $68 in
lifetime social security taxes -- an amount they will "recoup"
in only 12 days!
On average, a husband and wife getting an initial
minimum benefit in 1982 would be paid more than $100,000 during
their retirement lifetimes from the social security trust
funds. For the average couple, this would be about three
hundred times what they had paid in, and it would not have
been earned.
An estimated 35,000 social security minimum bene-
ficiaries live outside the United States.
Not eliminating this unearned windfall would add $7
billion to the social security trust fund deficit over the
next five years, making the social security financing crisis
that much more acute and jeopardizing benefits of those who
earned them.
Windfall Benefits and Outside Income
Based on General Accounting Office (GAO) data, it is
estimated that 450,000 minimum recipients receive Federal
pensions. These retired Federal double-dippers now are
estimated to average $16,000 annually from the Federal Civil
Service Retirement System on top of the minimum social security
benefit for a total Federal retirement income of $18,120.
50,000 minimum social security recipients have retired
spouses who are estimated to receive $18,500 in Federal pension
payments. The average family Federal retirement income of
these "minimum benefit" couples is $21,680 annually.
Another 300,000 minimum recipients have working spouses,
according to GAO data. These working spouses have earnings
estimated to average $21,100 annually, for an average family
income of at least $23,220 annually, including the social
security minimum benefit.
Overall, these social security and GAO data suggest
that up to 800,000 minimum beneficiaries have comfortable
total incomes which exceed an average of $20,000. This raises
considerable doubt about the claim of Majority Leader Wright
that eliminating the minimum harms 3 million people, "most
of them poor. "
Another 1.2 Million Are Only Technical Minimum Beneficiaries
Fully 1 million of the 3 million minimum benefit recipients
are dual beneficiaries. They are classed as "minimum" only because
of an accounting technicality. They receive more than the minimum
today and their benefit would be unaffected by elimination
of the minimum. This occurs because the total benefit payment
to these persons is based not on their own low earnings but
on earnings and social security taxes of their husbands or
wives.
The typical example would be a wife whose own sporadic
and low earnings entitled her only to the "minimum" but she
in fact is also entitled to and receives one half her husband's
benefit. Part of her check counts as "minimum" and part as
"supplement." The end of the minimum would alter these
proportions but leave the size of the check unchanged. Thus
one third of those now classed as "minimum" are not actually
receiving the minimum benefit but substantially more, and
their social security incomes will not be reduced by
eliminating the minimum benefit.
About 200,000 recipients of the minimum have earned
benefits that just equal the minimum benefit. Since earned
benefits are unchanged, eliminating the minimum would not
affect these people.
500,000 Are SSI Beneficiaries
About 500,000 recipients of the social security minimum
benefit who have low total incomes are currently receiving
Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Since the SSI benefit
is adjusted for other income, a drop in the social security
monthly check from elimination of the minimum would be
automatically offset, dollar for dollar, by an increase in
the monthly SSI benefit.
The Social Safety Net Provides A More Than Adequate Floor
As indicated above, up to 800,000 minimum beneficiaries
clearly have ample incomes and do not need nor deserve this
unearned benefit. Another 1.7 million are dual or equal
beneficiaries or are currently in SSI payment status and would
experience no reduction in total payments. Yet another
200,000 "minimum" recipients are college students, or minor
children of double dippers.
While the precise income and need status of the remaining
300,000 beneficiaries (3 million total) is not known, there
is one certainty: none could fall below an ample social safety
net consisting of Supplemental Security Income, Food Stamps
and Medicaid -- for which most SSI recipients are categorically
eligible.
The core of the system is the Federal Supplemental Security
Income System. For minimum recipients in 1982 it will
provide $5,192 per couple plus state supplementation. On a
weighed average basis, Federal plus state supplement cash
benefits will average $6,100 per couple in FY 82 as of July
1, 1982, after minimum benefit elimination in the House Bill.
While SSI contains an asset test, the recipients home, car,
personal possessions of reasonable value and certain amounts
of stocks, bonds, life insurance savings and other liquid
assets are excluded.
With the exception of 3 states which cash-out and thereby
include Food Stamp cash value in the state SSI supplement, most
SSI recipients are also eligible for Food Stamps. In a typical
case the Food Stamp value would be an additional $675 per
couple per year.
Finally, most SSI recipients are categorically eligible for
Medicaid, which covers most expenses for drugs, deductibles
and post-hospital care not covered by Medicare. On a national
average basis, the Medicaid cash value is estimated to
average $3,660 per elderly couple.
The table below shows this combined social safety net
for selected states. Any needy beneficiary losing minimum
benefits would not drop below these floors.
On a national average basis, a single social security
minimum beneficiary will lose $772 per year in trust fund
financed benefits, but those who have need are protected by
a $6,980 floor. Similarly, couples receiving the social security
minimum will lose on average $1,159 in trust fund financed
benefits, but those in need are protected by a $10,600 floor.
The existence of this safety net makes the risk of eliminating
the minimum benefit negligible and will stop the flow of
undeserved windfall benefits out of the trust funds.
STATE
SOCIAL SAFETY NET*
Alaska
12,429
California
13,860
Colorado
11,712
Hawaii
10,523
Idaho
10,219
Maine
9,814
Massachusetts
10,980
Michigan
10,016
Minnesota
10,085
Nebraska
10,589
Nevada
10,472
New Hampshire
9,900
New Jersey
9,816
New York
10,377
Oklahoma
11,042
Oregon
9,799
Pennsylvania
10,128
Rhode Island
10,454
Utah
9,883
Vermont
10,406
Washington
10,017
Wisconsin
10,296
Wyoming
10,041
Washington, DC
9,967
All Other States
9,667
National Average
10,600
* Consists of potential payments and benefits under Federal SSI,
state SSI supplements, Food Stamps and Medicaid for couples receiving
minimum benefits.
file Social Security
October 12, 1982
Dear morton:
This is the note you requested Friday
at Kingston on legislative priorities.
For the sake of ailing pension plans as
well as Social Security, Individual Retirement
accounts (IRA'S) should be further promoted as
supplements and alternatives for retirement
planning.
The tax-exempt ceiling of $2000 should be
increased as should the couple's $2,250 limit.
Since the liberalizations in 1981, eligible partici-
pants tripled from 5% to 17% by the end of first
quarter 1982, a study by LIMRA (Life Insurance
marketing Research assoc.) projects participation
at 32% of eligible individuals at the close of 1982.
Let me know if I can help further,
Eiben
Eileen Peterson
10081-2 Windstream
BAL NED
AND
Columbia, MD, 21044
1992
1982 DSA THENE
Morton Blackwell
91
office of Public Liaison
Preservation Copy
Rm 191 Old EOB
The White House
]
THE WHITE HOUSE
file
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 16, 1981
The President today announced his intention to appoint/designate
the following individuals to serve on a 15-member bi-partisan
National Commission on Social Security Reform. Alan Greenspan
will serve as Chairman.
Establishment of the Commission fulfills a pledge made by the
President in September to create a bi-partisan task force to
work with the President and Congress to reach two specific
goals:
-- To propose realistic, long-term reforms to put
Social Security back on a sound financial footing, and
-- To forge a working, bi-partisan consensus so that the
necessary reforms can be passed into law.
ROBERT A. BECK, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer, Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark,
New Jersey. He is a member of the President's Export Council.
MARY FALVEY FULLER, Vice President, Finance, Shaklee Corporation,
San Francisco, California. Previously, she was Senior Vice
President and Director, Blyth Eastman Dillon & Company, Inc.,
New York, New York.
ALAN GREENSPAN, Chairman and President, Townsend-Greenspan and
Company, Inc., New York, New York. Fie is a member of the
President's Economic Policy Advisor Board.
ALEXANDER B. TROWBRIDGE, President, National Association of
Manufacturers, Washington, D.C. ne IS a member of the President's
Task Force on Private Sector Initiatives.
JOE D. WAGGONNER, JR., Consultant, Bossier Bank & Trust Company,
Plain Dealing, Louisiana. He represented the 4th Congressional
District of Louisiana during the 87th to 95th Congresses.
-more-
-2-
Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker, in consultation with
Senate Minority Leader Robert Byrd, selected the following
individuals to serve on the Commission:
WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, United States Senate (R-Colo.), Chairman of
the Subcommittee on Social Security of the Senate Finance Committee.
ROBERT DOLE, United States Senate (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee.
JOHN HEINZ, United States Senate (R-Penn.), Chairman of the
Senate Special Committee on Aging.
LANE KIRKLAND, President of the American Federation of Labor -
Congress of Industrial Organizations.
DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN, United States Senate (D-N.Y.), Ranking
Minority Member of the Subcommittee on Social Security of the
Senate Finance Committee.
House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill, in consultation with House
Minority Leader Robert Michel, selected the following individuals
to serve on the Commission:
WILLIAM ARCHER, United States House of Representatives (R-Tex.),
Ranking Minority Member of the Subcommittee on Social Security,
House Ways and Means Committee.
ROBERT M. BALL, was Commissioner of Social Security in 1962-73.
He is Senior Scholar, Institute of Medicine, National Academy
of Sciences.
BARBER CONABLE, United States House of Representatives (R-N.Y.),
Ranking Minority Member, House Ways and Means Committee.
MARTHA E. KEYS, former Assistant Secretary of Health and Human
Services. She served in the 94th and 95th Congresses.
CLAUDE D. PEPPER, United States House of Representatives (D-Fla.),
Chairman, House Select Committee on Aging.
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 16, 1981
EXECUTIVE ORDER
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution
of the United States of America, and to establish, in accordance
with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended (5 U.S.C. App. I), the National Commission on Social
Security Reform, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment. (a) There is established
the National Commission on Social Security Reform. The
Commission shall be composed of fifteen members appointed or
designated by the President and selected as follows:
(1) Five members selected by the President from among
officers or employees of the Executive Branch, private citizens
of the United States, or both. Not more than three of the members
selected by the President shall be members of the same political
party;
(2) Five members selected by the Majority Leader of the
Senate from among members of the Senate, private citizens of
the United States, or both. Not more than three of the
members selected by the Majority Leader shall be members of
the same political party;
(3) Five members selected by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives from among members of the House, private citizens
of the United States, or both. Not more than three of the
members selected by the Speaker shall be members of the same
political party.
(b) The President shall designate a Chairman from among
the members of the Commission.
Sec. 2. Functions. (a) The Commission shall review
relevant analyses of the current and long-term financial
condition of the Social Security trust funds; identify
problems that may threaten the long-term solvency of such
funds; analyze potential solutions to such problems that
will both assure the financial integrity of the Social
Security System and the provision of appropriate benefits;
and provide appropriate recommendations to the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, the President, and the Congress.
(b) The Commission shall make its report to the President
by December 31, 1982.
Sec. 3. Administration. (a) The heads of Executive
agencies shall, to the extent permitted hy law, provide the
Commission such information as it may require for the purpose
of carrying out its functions.
more
(OVER)
2
(b) Members of the Commission shall serve without any
additional compensation for their work on the Commission.
However, members appointed from among private citizens of the
United States may be allowed travel expenses, including
per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for
persons serving intermittently in the government service
(5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), to the extent funds are available
therefor.
(c) The Commission shall have a staff headed by an
Executive Director. Any expenses of the Commission shall be
paid from such funds as may be available to the Secretary of
Health and Human Services.
Sec. 4. General. (a) Notwithstanding any other
Executive Order, the responsibilities of the President under
the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, except that
of reporting annually to the Congress, which are applicable
to the Commission, shall be performed by the Secretary of
Health and Human Services in accordance with the guidelines
and procedures established by the Administrator of General
Services.
(b) The Commission shall terminate thirty days after
submitting its report.
RONALD REAGAN
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 16, 1981.
####
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 16, 1981
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
In recent years rising inflation has created great uncertainty
about our Social Security System. Time and again, we have been
reassured the system would be financially sound for decades to come,
only to find that recalculations of receipts and benefits forecasted
a new crisis.
Current and future retirees now question the system's ability to
provide them benefits they have been led to expect. Americans look
to us for leadership -- and answers.
As a candidate in 1980, I pledged I would do my utmost to restore
the integrity of Social Security and to do so without penalty to
those dependent on that program. I have honored that pledge and
will continue to do so. We cannot, and we will not betray people
entitled to Social Security benefits.
In September, I announced I would appoint a bipartisan task force
to work with the President and the Congress to reach two specific
goals: propose realistic, long-term reforms to put Social Security
back on a sound financial footing; and forge a working bipartisan
consensus SO that the necessary reforms will be passed into law.
Senate Majority Leader Baker, Speaker O'Neill and I agreed we would
each select five members for a new National Commission on Social
Security. Today, I am pleased and honored to announce the forma-
tion of the Commission, and to announce that Alan Greenspan has
agreed at my request to serve as chairman of this Commission.
I am asking that the Commission present its report to the American
people at the end of next year. I can think of no more important,
domestic problem requiring resolution than the future of our Social
Security System. But, let me make one thing plain: with bipartisan
cooperation and political courage, Social Security can and will be
saved.
For too long, too many people dependent on Social Security have been
cruelly frightened by individuals seeking political gain through
demogoquery and outright falsehood. This must stop. The future of
Social Security is much too important to be used as a political
football.
Saving Social Security will require the best efforts of both parties,
and of both the executive and legislative branches of Government.
I am confident this can be done, and that in its deliberations,
this Commission will put aside partisan considerations and seek a
solution the American people will find fiscally sound and fully
equitable.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Release at 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 20, 1983
SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS OF 1983
Highlights of Major Provisions
Today, President Reagan signed into law the historic Social
Security Amendments of 1983. Based on recommendations by the
bipartisan Commission on Social Security Reform established on
December 16, 1981, the new law resolves both short- and long-term
threats to the Social Security system.
I. SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES
Taken together, the provisons assure a balance of revenues and
expenditures that will eliminate the crisis that had been
facing the Social Security system in this decade and make
structural reforms which will bring the long-range costs of
the program into line with program revenues. The law provides
for a total of $166 billion during 1983-1989 in additional
taxes and income, and reduced expenditures. The law also
makes reforms that address the serious long-range financing
problems that the program had faced early in the next century
because of changing demographic factors.
Retirement Age/Reduction for Early Retirement -- Gradually
increases normal retirement age to 66 by 2005 and 67 by 2022.
The retirement age would increase by 2 months a year from 2000
to 2005 and from 2017 to 2022. Does not change age of
eligibility for Medicare or the availability of reduced
benefits at 62 (60 for widows).
Coverage of Newly Hired Federal Employees -- Covers Federal
employees hired on or after January 1, 1984, plus all Members
of Congress and the President, the Vice President, Federal
judges, and other executive level political appointees of the
Federal government effective January 1, 1984.
Coverage of Employees of Nonprofit Organizations -- Covers
current and future employees of private tax-exempt nonprofit
organizations effective January 1; 1984.
Prohibit Termination of Coverage of State and Local Government
Employees -- Prohibits States from terminating coverage of
State and local government employees if the termination has
not gone into effect by the date of enactment. Also, permits
State and local groups whose coverage has been terminated to
be covered again.
Shift Cost-of-Living Adjustments to Calendar Year Basis --
Delays the July 1983 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to
January 1984 and provides for future automatic COLA's on a
calendar year basis, with the increase payable in January,
rather than in July of each year. The SSI benefit increase
and SMI premium increase will also be delayed to January 1984
and placed on a calendar year basis.
Cost-of-Living Increases to be Based on Either Wages or Prices
(Whichever is Lower) When Balance in OASDI Trust Funds Falls
Below Specified Level "Stabilizer" -- Limits future
automatic increases to the lesser of the increase in wages or
prices when the ratio of the combined OASDI trust fund assets
to estimated outgo falls below a given percentage. The
"triggering" trust fund percentage is 15 percent through 1988
and 20 percent for 1980 and later.
The legislation also includes a catch-up provision for making
up for any benefit increases that are based on the lower wage
increases, when the trust fund ratio reaches 32 percent.
Eliminate Windfall Benefits for Persons Receiving Pensions
from Noncovered Employment -- For many workers who are first
eligible after 1985 for both a pension based on noncovered
employment, and Social Security benefits, applies a different
benefit computational method. Specifically, the 90-percent
factor now applied to average earnings in the first band of
the benefit formula would be replaced by a factor of 40
percent, after a 5-year phase-in. This reduction in Social
Security benefits would not exceed one-half of the amount of
the pension.
Lower the Withholding Rate Under the Earning Test for
Individuals Who Have Attained Full Retirement Age -- Beginning
in 1990, decreases the earning test benefit withholding rate
from $1 for each $2 of earnings over the annual exempt amount
to $1 for each $3 of excess earnings, for individuals who
attain full retirement age (age 65 in 1990).
Increase Delayed Retirement Credit -- Beginning in 1990,
gradually increases from 3 to 8 percent the delayed retirement
credit payable to workers who delay retirement past age 65.
Amend the Government Pension Offset to Allow Spouses with Low
Government Annuities to Retain a Portion of Their Social
Security Spouse's Benefits -- Provides that for spouses and
surviving spouses who become eligible after June 1983 for
their public pension based on noncovered employment the amount
of the public pension used for purposes of the offset against
Social Security benefits will be reduced to two-thirds of the
public pension.
more
Taxation of Social Security and Railroad Retirement Tier 1
Benefits -- Beginning in 1984 subjects up to one-half of
Social Security (and railroad retirement tier 1) benefits to
the Federal income tax if income exceeds $25,000 for a single
taxpayer, or $32,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly.
Employee-Employer Tax Rate Schedule and 1984 Employee Tax
Credit -- Advances previously scheduled FICA tax-rate
increases for OASDI from 1985 to 1984, and advances part of
the scheduled 1990 increase to 1988. The new law also
provides, for 1984 only, a credit for employees against their
FICA tax liability of 0.3 percent of their wages.
Self-Employment Tax-Rate (SECA) Schedule and Credit --
Increases tax rates on self-employment income for OASDI and HI
to equal the combined employee-employer rates. Provides
credits against SECA tax liability for 1984-89 equal to a
percentage of self-employment income. After 1989, the credit
will be replaced with special provisions designed to treat the
self-employed in much the same manner as employees and
employers are treated for Social Security and income tax
purposes under present law.
Allocations to the OADI and DI Trust Funds -- Provides a new
allocation schedule of OASDI taxes for employees and
employers, each, and the self-employed. The provision does
not raise any new revenue but shifts revenue from the DI trust
fund to the OADI trust fund. The effect of this reallocation
is to put the two parts of the program in roughly comparable
financial condition, with the DI program being in slightly
more favorable circumstances than OASI.
Interfund Borrowing -- Reauthorizes interfund borrowing among
the OASI, DI and HI funds for calendar years 1983-1987.
II. SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME CHANGES
Increase in Federal SSI Benefit Standard and Change in Timing
of SSI COLA -- Effective July 1, 1983, increase the Federal
SSI benefit standard for individuals to $304.30 per month; for
couples to $456.40 per month; and for certain other persons to
$152.50 per month. In addition, SSI cost-of-living allowances
will now occur in January, rather than in July, beginning with
January 1984.
III. UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION CHANGES
Modifies and extends for 6 months the Federal Supplemental
Compensation program which was due to expire March 31, 1983.
This program provides additional weeks of Federally financed
unemployment compensation benefits to jobless workers who have
exhausted all other State and Federal unemployment benefits.
more
IV. PROSPECTIVE PAYMENTS FOR MEDICARE INPATIENT HOSPITAL SERVICES
Includes a major change in the method of payment under
Medicare for inpatient hospital services. Services would be
paid for on a prospective basis according to rates set by the
Secretary of HHS. A single payment amount would be paid for
each type of case, identified by the diagnosis group into
which each case is classified.
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 12, 1983
MB
10/14
MEMORANDUM TO JAMES A. BAKER III AND EDWIN MEESE III
FROM:
FAITH RYAN WHITTLESEY
FRW
SUBJECT:
New Taxation of Churches
The fundamentalist and evangelical Protestant churches are
waking up to the reality that they are about to be required
to start paying Social Security taxes, under the provisions
of our TEFRA passed last year. The new taxation is scheduled
to go into effect January 1 for church employees, which
includes church-related-school employees and all church staff
except clergy.
Wealthy, main line Protestant churches are not yet deeply
involved in resistance to this new tax. But it now appears
that at least hundreds of Mennonite, Amish, fundamentalist
and evangelical church leaders will refuse to pay the tax.
At a September 30 meeting organized by the National Christian
Action Coalition at the Capitol Hill Club, thirty preachers
and Christian school leaders from around the country held
fiery discussions on this issue.
The result early in 1984 would be that our Treasury Depart-
ment and our Justice Department, acting under our revenue
bill, would be taking high-visibility legal actions against
outspoken religious leaders, many of whom broke all precedent
by working hard to elect us in 1980.
Religious leaders are working with Senator Bill Armstrong
and some House members to introduce a bill to exempt religious
organizations from the new tax. We should decide now if we
are prepared to weather this coming storm. If not, we
should get to work now with Congressional friends to intro-
duce an Administration-backed repealer of this portion of
TEFRA. Judging from the intensity of feeling now building
up on this issue, I suggest the latter course.