They know in good times we must plan with an eye toward future lean years. Like the old fable about the ant and the grasshopper, we must sweat today for security tomorrow. We regret they'll have to do it without Louis Stokes from Ohio. But we hope they'll do it in the spirit of consensus, compromise and teamwork that the Stokes brothers brought to Washington and Cleveland, because there are significant national needs that Congress set aside in the last session. Needs that will not fade away, like the proverbial old soldiers.
Health care needs.
The needs of children. The new Congress we chose on Tuesday will take us to the new millennium. Question number one involves everyone who wants to be secure in old age. As we look back on this century, few of our achievements match the enduring legacy of Social Security. It brought dignity to those who fought our wars at home and abroad.