at the time has the public’s attention, something like what President Bush holds now, he or she must make a legitimate call for Congress to make change. Reagan had a far-reaching administration; most Republicans followed his every word and many Democrats had grabbed his coattails as well. With such popularity Congressmen cannot Morris 15ignore the President’s plea. The timing of the President’s call for action during his four years is negotiable. It will depend on approval ratings, reelection platform ideas, and the current tone on Capitol Hill.Congress – The PlayersThe control of each house in Congress will not necessarily need to be that of the Administration’s. Reagan’s tax reform was accomplished with a Democratic House and a Republican Senate. The underlying factor in tax reform will have to play the major role in Social Security reform: key players. Tax reform had powerful Democrats such as Rostenkowski, O’Neill, and Bradley to work alongside Republicans such as Dole, Packwood, and Reagan. These six men played hardball politics with their colleagues and did what they had to do to make things work. In order for Social Security to be reformed, a conglomeration of powerful and respected leaders from both parties must be willing to take the lead. This is highly unlikely in the current Congress because leaders like Hastert, Daschle, Lott, and Gephardt are too split in ideology. Hastert is too conservative to make such change and to do so would require the President and Republican representatives to muscle him into position. Also the current crisis in the Middle East and the war against terrorism are too much of a priority to put on the back burner while such dramatic reform is debated on the floor. The time will be right when the Middle East is more stable and the war on terrorism is not so young.Morris 16The Lack of Special InterestsIn 1986 the legislators essentially ignored th...
