Social Security & Medicare Notes

It's official. Social Security reform on back burner.

It's official. Has to be, because it is in the Washington Post.

Social Security Fades Into Fall

"House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) now thinks he may not begin consideration of Social Security legislation until September, an aide said. Thomas told an Associated Press reporter yesterday that, "The issue is dealing with more time-sensitive legislation first." He said Social Security "is not time-sensitive, and we are going to pass CAFTA," the Central American Free Trade Agreement, before Congress begins its summer break. Thomas, referring to a congressional trip to Cape Canaveral, Fla., that canceled votes yesterday, said: "There's no hang-up on contents. It's just how many days we got and how many space shuttles don't get off the ground."

This report is provided thanks to Bilmon who also goes on the explain why Bill Thomas can't get the bill out of committee.

"It appears the Keystone Cops running our heroic Chamber of People's Deputies haven't been able to decide with version of "reform" to get behind -- "ponies for everybody" (private accounts without benefit cuts or tax increases) or "root canal work for the middle class" (benefit cuts and tax increases with private accounts.)

Thomas's stealth approach -- SS privatization would have been packaged with a grab bag of private pension goodies -- was the last hope for getting any kind of legislation this year that Bush could sign without putting a paper bag over his head."

This is good news for defenders of Social Security, but it isn't the end of Republican efforts to destroy the system. The one real positive factor is that I really doubt that the Republicans in Congress who have to run for reelection in November 2006 will have the stomach to resurrect any privatization bill next year. They may be misguided ideologues, but sadly they aren't Stupid and politically suicidal misguided ideologues. Not usually, anyway.

posted by Richard @ 11:13 PM