Orrin Hatch: “today the Senate will vote on three nominees to positions on the Social Security Advisory Board. Two of these…”

“today the Senate will vote on three nominees to positions on the Social Security Advisory Board. Two of these nominees--Alan Cohen and Lanhee Chen--are well suited for these positions, and that being the case I totally support their nominations. However, I plan to vote against the remaining nominee, Dr. Henry Aaron, whom the President ultimately intends to serve as chairman of the board. I wish to take a few minutes today to explain why I have reached this decision. Over the past decade or so, Dr. Aaron has spent most of his time and efforts focusing on health care issues and advocacy. Indeed, the vast majority of writings he offered in support of his nomination dealt with health care, not Social Security. When the Finance Committee considered his nomination, I specifically asked Dr. Aaron if he had performed any Social Security analysis over the past decade. He could not produce anything substantive along these lines. There is nothing wrong with focusing one's energies on health care instead of analyzing Social Security policy. However, given the specific focus of the Social Security Advisory Board, I am concerned about the extent to which Dr. Aaron has considered Social Security issues and analytical advances in the field over the past decade or more. It appears to me that Dr. Aaron's interests and skill set make him better suited for a position in the health care arena rather than advising on the current state of Social Security. Dr.…”