What:              US Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), will host a press call to discuss President Bush’s proposal to privatize the Social Security program.  Congressman Honda is inviting members of APIA-focused publications and media outlets to call in for an opportunity to hear CAPAC’s concerns about the Bush plan and pose questions during an exclusive Q-and-A session.

Who:               US Rep. Mike Honda will be joined by other members of CAPAC – including newly elected Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Rep. David Wu (D-WA),  and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) – as they express their concerns with the Bush Administration’s plans for privatizing Social Security.

When:             Thursday, March 17, 2005 at 2:30 PM eastern time.

How:               Members of the media may participate in the press call by dialing the following:

                     Toll Free DIAL-IN Line: 888-989-4344 
                       
                     Passcode: “Social Security” (the operator will patch callers through)

Background:   As Chair of CAPAC, Rep. Honda is working with a coalition of civic groups informing the APIA community about President Bush’s plans to reform the Social Security program. The APIA community is growing at an explosive rate, with the number of Asians in the US expected to triple over the next half-century.  In Rep. Honda’s home state of California, for instance, the APIA population already comprises 11 percent of the general population, and grew 34 percent in the past decade from 2.8 million to 3.8 million.  As a rapidly growing community, APIAs need the facts about Social Security reform to make informed decisions about this critical social insurance program.