Senators Urge Bush to Focus on Solvency (SS) [View All]

[SillyGoose]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Concerned the Social Security debate has become mired in the conflict over private investment accounts, some Senate Republicans want President Bush to switch his focus to the retirement program's looming insolvency and how to fix it.

``The more you talk about solvency, the harder it is for Democrats to object to everything,'' said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who has been trying to broker compromise legislation between the parties.

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, who heads the Senate committee with jurisdiction over any legislation, said not just the president but rank-and-file Republicans have a responsibility to switch the focus.

``I don't know to what extent I should put this on the back of the president,'' Grassley said Tuesday. ``I think that we have not pushed enough discussion of the solvency, and the reason I say that is, when you get right down to it, that's a no-brainer. You lay every fact about Social Security out about its insolvency and you're not going to have Democrats and Republicans disagree. They might disagree when to do something about it, or how to solve that red ink, but we need to be concentrating on that.''

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