What can be done to ensure the future solvency of the Social Security and Medicare systems?
We are less than nine years away from the day when the money paid in Social Security taxes will not be enough to pay the benefits the government has promised. Medicare will be in trouble even sooner. We must find solutions that protect the benefits for those who are at or near retirement age while giving younger workers a chance to have a secure retirement. It can only happen with bipartisan cooperation. I have co-sponsored a bill to set up a commission to recommend legislation that Congress would have to vote on, up or down. These programs are too important to play politics with, and we must work together to do the right thing in an approach that is both sensible and compassionate. With a $700-plus billion financial bailout plan and $10 billion per month spent on the war in Iraq, the national debt continues to rise. What can be done to curb government spending, reduce the national debt and increase gross domestic product? The most important goal is to promote economic growth. In fact,
