WASHINGTON — Discouraged by the feedback they received in meetings with constituents, Republican lawmakers returned to Congress this week convinced that it would take time to build support for President Bush's still-evolving plan to overhaul Social Security.
Many lawmakers held town hall meetings to discuss Social Security during last week's congressional recess, and many Republicans were pounded by skeptical questions about the president's plan. Some said the experience drove home how much work remained to persuade people to support Bush's proposal, which would allow younger workers to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into private investment accounts.
"This is going to be a long process," said Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.), chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees Social Security. "I don't expect members to come back from recess and say: 'No way we can do that.' But I also don't expect them to say: 'This is going to be easy.' "
Some Republicans say they never expected the complex issue to move quickly through Congress. But some senior strategists have contended that Bush has only a small window of opportunity to get his initiative in motion.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said in February that Bush had about three months to mobilize public opinion behind his plan.
"If we don't see some grass-roots organizing and change of public opinion after 90 days, it's going to discourage people in Congress from moving ahead," Grassley told reporters in Iowa.
A senior Senate GOP aide said the initiative could be in trouble if it fails to pick up some steam after Congress returns from its next recess in early April. "After that recess, if things haven't started to jell, I wouldn't say it's over, but you've got to start seeing some movement by the end of June," the aide said.
Stuart Roy, a former aide to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), said the feedback from town hall meetings last week would support a "go-slow approach" to handling the Social Security issue.
"It is a months-long, if not a years-long, process," Roy said. Bush will continue his campaign-style appearances around the country this week to promote Social Security restructuring, with visits to New Jersey and Indiana. But some GOP leaders say the president also may need to step up his lobbying of congressional Republicans, perhaps even going to Capitol Hill.
