The Labor Secretary Elaine Chao defended President's policy to protect workers' pension from catastrophic losses such as in the Enrone case in Congressional hearings on February 6. In response to the Enrone collapse, President Bush has proposed letting employees sell stocks that their employers contribute to 401(k) assets after three years. Democrats proposed plans to limit retirement holdings in a single company and put a cap on buying company stocks to 401(k) assets. Ms. Chao criticized the cap plan would limit the workers' freedom to invest their pension funds. "Restricting workers' choice won't necessarily make their investments safer. It will just reduce the freedom that workers have to shape their own financial futures." She pointed out further that to put a cap on buying stocks also will discourage companies from matching workers' 401(k) contributions with company stocks.