January 31, 2002 U.S. Chamber Launches Coalition For "Measured Approach" To Post-Enron Retirement System Overhaul The United States Chamber of Commerce on January 29 launched a coalition with other leading business and employee-benefit groups to fight for a measured approach to possible retirement system overhaul and regulatory changes spurred by the Enron financial debacle. The founding members of the coalition include the Chamber, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Profit Sharing Council of America, the American Benefits Council, the ESOP Association, and the ERISA Industry Committee. "What happened at Enron was a disgrace and the guilty should be punished and any necessary reforms adopted," said Kathleen Havey, Chamber director of pension policy and a leader of the new Coalition on Employee Retirement Benefits. "But Congress needs to carefully review the facts before taking drastic measures that would punish millions of businesses and workers for the actions of one company." In a January 25 letter to members of Congress, the six founding coalition members and 57 other national associations and organizations called for a thorough review of the Enron case but warned against hasty changes to retirement and investment plans in which overregulation could limit employees' options and cause employers to stop offering 401(k)s, employee stock ownership plans, and other worker retirement benefits. Many of the signatories will soon become coalition members, according to Elizabeth Keys of the Chamber's media relations department. The complete version of this news story, in-depth analysis of the latest benefits developments, statistics, surveys, and more are available immediately to subscribers of Spencer's Benefits Reports On-line. Click here for a complete listing of news and reports available to subscribers. http://www.spencernet.com/Archive/News013102.html#Anchor-49575