While the White House and Republican leadership have not pushed for mandatory coverage, the issue has not been completely taken off the table. And while there appears to be a stalemate between the President and the Congress over Social Security, reports continue to circulate of efforts to bring about an agreement.

For example, in July it was reported that President Clinton and the Republicans had agreed on what is called a "lock box" provision which requires the SS payroll taxes to be used only ("locked up") for Social Security. Such action begs the question whether other agreements will follow.

According to Teacher Retirement Board Executive Director Tom Lussier, who is also CPRS's chairman, "In the current atmosphere, with sudden political shifts, one can ill afford to be complacent. To the contrary, the coalition must intensify its fight."

To that end, CPRS has retained the services of a well-established Washington public relations firm, David Vienna & Associates. CPRS has hired Vienna to monitor mandatory SS coverage and manage its relations with affected organizations and retirement systems.