WASHINGTON (CNN) - Vice President Dick Cheney kicked off a White House conference on the economy Wednesday by saying it plans to take a close look at topics such as lawsuit abuse, affordable health care, the future of Social Security and the federal tax code.
The two-day conference, titled "Securing our Economic Future," will feature panels of a variety of experts and entrepreneurs.
"Our willingness to act is required," Cheney told the group.
During his first four years in office, President Bush has worked to stimulate economic growth through tax cuts and attempts to lower the federal deficit, although there are critics who disagree with his methods, and say the results fall short.
"Every American who pays federal income tax benefited from the Bush tax cuts," Cheney said. "And so has the economy ... without the president's tax relief, our economy would look very different" with 3 million fewer Americans working.
In addition, this year's deficit is $100 billion less than that predicted by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, he said. "We're committed to keeping the Bush tax cuts in place."
But challenges remain, including the federal tax code and Social Security, he said. The tax code is "thousands of pages long," and so complex that America employs some 1.2 million tax preparers -- more than the U.S. Army.
In addition, "younger workers are understandably concerned about whether Social Security will be around when they need it," Cheney said. "This is more than a problem to be solved. It's also an opportunity."
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