“I’m very pleased President Bush has embraced the bipartisan bill passed by the House that would give rank-and-file workers the same access to professional investment advice that wealthy employees and executives have. Many Enron workers would have made different decisions if there had simply been someone to warn them they had too many eggs in one basket, but outdated federal laws denied them that opportunity. The Retirement Security Advice Act [H.R. 2269] passed the House late last year with the strong support of 64 House Democrats. My hope is that the Senate will follow suit quickly in the same bipartisan spirit so that President Bush can sign this legislation into law for America’s workers.

     “Through this and other parts of his proposal, the President has sent a clear message to Congress that he is committed to finding ways to increase pension safety while maximizing opportunities for a prosperous, secure retirement.

    “Our committee next week will launch a series of bipartisan hearings aimed at making a full assessment of the flaws in current law that may have contributed to the tragedy affecting Enron’s employees. Many of the laws currently on the books were enacted more than 25 years ago, when few workers had responsibility for managing their pensions. The President has again shown great leadership on an issue of great concern to the American people.”