Three Special Forums on Wednesdays May 19, June 16, and July 14
The stakes are enormous. The tradeoffs are perplexing. How Congress and the White House tackle the tangle of issues enmeshed in Social Security’s near- and long-term future will affect millions of Americans and trillions of dollars.
In three timely forums supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, Urban Institute scholars and an array of experts from leading Washington institutions will discuss where Social Security is headed and how to smooth its path.
Each forum will begin with a clear delineation of key facts and challenges. Panelists representing divergent perspectives will then illuminate central aspects of the Social Security debate and the audience will be invited to pose questions. Howard Gleckman, a resident fellow with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and the author of Caring for Our Parents, will moderate.
Forum #1: Wednesday, May 19, 8:30–10:00 a.m.
106 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Constitution Avenue and First Street, NE
Washington, DC
"Securing Social Security: Does It Need to Be Fixed Now?"
Panelists:
- Nancy J. Altman, codirector, Social Security Works; author, The Battle for Social Security
- Andrew Biggs, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute; former principal deputy commissioner, Social Security Administration
- Stephen C. Goss, chief actuary, Social Security Administration
- Robert Greenstein, executive director, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Joyce Manchester, chief, long-term modeling group, Congressional Budget Office
- Eugene Steuerle, Institute fellow, Urban Institute; coauthor, Retooling Social Security for the 21st Century: Right and Wrong Approaches to Reform
Among the questions to be addressed: Are projections showing that Social Security revenues will soon fall short of benefit payments reasonable and certain? What are the implications of using general revenues to pay benefits? What is Social Security’s role in the broader budget deficit debate? Is there a politically viable way to achieve long-term solvency? Is Social Security reform critical now?
Forum #2: Wednesday, June 16, 8:30–10:00 a.m.
562 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Constitution Avenue and First Street, NE
Washington, DC
"The Social Side of Social Security: Can Benefit Adequacy and Equity Be Improved?"
Register Online
Opening Remarks
- Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), sponsor of H.R. 769, the Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2009
Panelists:
- Melissa Favreault, senior research associate, Urban Institute; coauthor, Social Security and the Family
- Virginia P. Reno, vice president for income security policy, National Academy of Social Insurance
- Sylvester Schieber, former chair, Social Security Advisory Board
- Paul van de Water, senior fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; former associate commissioner for research, evaluation, and statistics, Social Security Administration
The experts will examine such issues as who ends up with low Social Security benefits. Why?
Should we reform Social Security to better protect the most vulnerable and increase equity? What are the possible options? Should other safety net programs, such as Supplemental Security Income, fill this role? How could we pay for adequacy adjustments? What does Congress think about the options?
Forum #3: Wednesday, July 14, 8:30–10:00 a.m.
Washington, D.C., location to be announced
"The Big Balance: Raising the Retirement Age while Protecting Those Who Cannot Work"
Register Online
Panelists:
- Gary Burtless, senior fellow and John C. and Nancy D. Whitehead Chair in Economic Studies, Brookings Institution
- Richard W. Johnson, senior fellow and director, Program on Retirement Policy, Urban Institute
- Karyne Jones, president and CEO, National Caucus and Center on Black Aged
- Monique Morrissey, economist, Economic Policy Institute
- David Stapleton, senior fellow and director, Center for Studying Disability Policy, Mathematica Policy Research
- Frank Todisco, senior pension fellow, American Academy of Actuaries
Panelists will discuss how health status, job characteristics, and job prospects intersect to affect work at older ages. What will happen to Social Security if Americans do not extend their careers as life expectancy increases? Would raising Social Security’s early entitlement age or full retirement age hurt low-income groups? Can Social Security Disability Insurance adequately protect workers with health problems? Are there alternatives to raising the retirement age that would promote work at older ages?
A light breakfast will precede each event at 8:15 a.m.
These forums are made possible by a generous grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Please visit www.retirementpolicy.org to learn about our ongoing research on the distributional effects of Social Security proposals and other income security issues affecting older Americans.
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