The Super Committee and Social Security: Should the Bowles-Simpson Proposals be on the Table?

View the event video and PowerPoint presentations. 

As the “Super Committee” begins work, some have suggested looking to the proposals of Fiscal Commission co-chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson as a potential starting point for Social Security reform. How would the Bowles-Simpson proposals affect Social Security benefits for future seniors? Are they a good starting point for the Super Committee? What are the implications of such changes for seniors across the population?

This session will feature a discussion of NASI’s new brief: How Would Seniors Fare – by Age, Gender, Race and Ethnicity, and Income – Under the Bowles-Simpson Social Security Proposals by 2070?

Presenter:   
Virginia Reno, Vice President for Income Security, National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI)

Discussants:  
Marc Goldwein, Policy Director, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget; former Associate Director of the Fiscal Commission
Wilhelmina Leigh, Senior Research Associate, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Stacy Sanders, Director of the Elder Economic Security Initiative, Wider Opportunities for Women

Moderator:
Janice Gregory, President, NASI

• How would the Bowles-Simpson proposals affect Social Security benefits for future seniors?
• How would seniors fare by gender, age, race and ethnicity, and income?
• What are the impacts of various reform options suggested by Bowles and Simpson, such as the chained CPI?
• How well is the plan balanced between benefit cuts and revenue increases? How would that balance change over time?

The National Academy of Social Insurance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Its mission is to promote understanding of how social insurance contributes to economic security and a vibrant economy. Visit www.nasi.orgfor more information on Social Security and other social insurance programs.