Obama Deficit-Reduction Plan Details Emerging
As President Barack Obama prepares to present to Congress his detailed plan to rein in the nation's debt, changes to Social Security appear unlikely, but the outlook for Medicare is less certain.
The Washington Post: Obama Unlikely To Put Social Security Cuts Back On The Table, Sources Say
As Obama prepares to present Congress on Monday with a detailed plan for taming the nation's debt, a pivotal question is whether he will again propose raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 and propose cuts in Social Security benefits (Goldfarb, 9/14).
The Wall Street Journal: Obama Plan Won't Include Changes To Social Security
President Barack Obama's new deficit-reduction proposal will leave out changes to Social Security, and may exclude any increase in the Medicare eligibility age, people familiar with the discussions said Wednesday. … Instead of raising the Medicare eligibility age, the White House is considering recommending cuts to providers and possibly increasing premiums for wealthier recipients, people familiar with the discussions say. It's also possible the president would propose changing the inflation calculation for other government programs, which currently use the same measure as Social Security does. The White House declined to comment on those discussions (Lee and Meckler, 9/15).
