Grassley's monthly, LIVE viewer call-in cable television program gives Iowans the opportunity to express opinions and ask questions of Grassley on any subject.
"Ask Your Senator: A Live Town Meeting" will air Thursday, March 19, from 7-7:30 p.m. (CST). The program airs regularly on the third Thursday of each month on cable outlets across Iowa. Iowans may use a toll-free number -- 1-800-736-8255 -- to participate in the program.
Grassley for many years has been a leader in the drive to preserve Medicare and Social Security for current and future generations. Grassley ? who serves as Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging ? today announced that he would serve as a national advisory board member to Americans Discuss Social Security. This project will organize a series of forums, meetings and surveys designed to create a national conversation about the future of Social Security. One meeting is scheduled to take place in Des Moines on May 9. The meetings are being sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Already this year, Grassley conducted a hearing of the Committee on Aging to consider options for reform of the Social Security program to ensure its viability when the baby boom generation begins to retire.
During 1997, Grassley hosted meetings in 69 communities across Iowa to provide information and raise awareness of the long-term challenges facing the Social Security program for retirees. In August Grassley conducted a field hearing in Omaha on the subject. In 1996, 342,480 Iowans received retirement benefits from Social Security. And last year, 37.8 million people nationwide received Social Security retirement benefits.
Grassley encouraged all Iowans to ask about these issues or to express other concerns during his Thursday program. "I look forward to discussing these or any other policy issues during my program. It is important for me to hear what is on the minds of Iowans. I invite everyone with access to the program to take this opportunity to play an active role in the process of representative government and call in to the program," he said.
Communities where "Ask Your Senator" can be viewed are listed on the following page.