; (2) the House should, within available budgetary resources, provide continued support for research, prevention, and public health preparedness programs; (3) the Federal Government should encourage private-sector development of critical vaccines and other medical countermeasures to emerging public health threats; and (4) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of State should collaborate on global health preparedness initiatives to prevent overlap and promote responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources. 516. Policy statement on Social Security (a) Findings The House finds the following: (1) More than 60 million retirees, individuals with disabilities, and survivors depend on Social Security. Since enactment, Social Security has served as a vital leg of the three-legged stool of retirement security, which includes employer provided pensions as well as personal savings. (2) Lower-income Americans rely on Social Security for a larger proportion of their retirement income. Therefore, reforms should take into consideration the need to protect lower income Americans’ retirement security. (3) The Social Security Trustees Report has repeatedly recommended that Social Security’s long-term financial challenges be addressed soon. The financial condition of Social Security and the threat to seniors and those receiving Social Security disability benefits becomes more pronounced each year without reform. For example— (A) in 2028, the Disability Insurance Trust Fund will be exhausted and program revenues will be unable to pay scheduled benefits