FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 13, 2004

Contact: Bob Weiner/Kathy Chu/Rebecca Vander Linde 301-283-0821 or 202-329-1700

(Tallahassee, FL and Washington, DC) – A significant new poll on American and Florida attitudes on social security solvency and benefits, commissioned by the Claude Pepper Foundation, will be released on Thursday, October 14, with a briefing and reaction by experts. The poll measures in a nonpartisan manner what Americans and Floridians think about Social Security – its benefits and future – as the presidential and congressional elections near. The event, at 8:45 AM, will be at Florida State University’s Claude Pepper Center, Broad Auditorium, 636 West Call Street, Room 116, Tallahassee, Florida.

The nonpartisan Claude Pepper Foundation poll, conducted by the highly reputed firms of Bendixen and Associates and American Viewpoint, will be released with a briefing and reaction by experts including Sergio Bendixen, President of Bendixen and Associates, Coral Gables, FL; Bob Carpenter, Vice President of American Viewpoint, Alexandria, VA; Former Rep. Barbara Kennelly (CT), President, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare; David Certner, Director of Federal Relations, AARP, Washington, DC; Prof. Jill Quadagno, PhD, Mildred and Claude Pepper Eminent Scholar Chair of Social Gerontology, Florida State University; William Arnone, Partner, Human Capital Services, Ernst and Young, New York City, NY; and Peter Reinecke, former professional staff member, House Aging Committee under Chairman Pepper, now Chief of Staff for Sen. Thomas Harkin (MT).

Thomas Spulak, Chair of the Pepper Foundation, who will emcee the event, explained, "What the general public, from the perspectives of the nation and Florida, thinks about this country’s public retirement program for the elderly, disabled, and dependents will be discussed from bi-partisan viewpoints. The public’s vision will be discussed with implications for the future of the current Social Security system and possibilities for reform.

"It is our hope that the poll and the discussion of reactions and implications by experts will enhance the recognition of the importance of social security, a key issue as we approach the upcoming election, in a bipartisan sense and in the best way – improving awareness by the American people. By having the event in Florida, a state that is known for the importance of senior issues because of its demographics, and in a forum conducted by the foundation and center devoted to issues and actions of the late, great Claude Pepper, the champion of the aging, who cared so much about protecting social security, we hope to bring great attention to the subject and thereby to improve Americans’ knowledge of this critical issue," Spulak concluded.

The Claude Pepper Foundation was founded in 1986 to further the objectives of Senator Pepper as evidenced by the causes he championed throughout his political career. The Foundation supports and sponsors efforts to promote issues involving health care, social security and other issues that were part of Claude Pepper's 50 years of government service. The Foundation has received significant support from Congress, the State of Florida, and private contributions.