Brief Committees Tackle the Deficit
John L. Palmer, Rudolph G. Penner
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The United States faces a dire budget problem, largely the result of the aging of the population and soaring health costs. The president's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and the Bipartisan Policy Center's Debt Reduction Task Force both agree that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid reforms are necessary, although health costs are the far greater problem. They also recommend restructuring the personal and corporate tax systems. These commissions' efforts show that reasonable policy packages can get bipartisan support even in an intensely partisan era.
Research Areas Economic mobility and inequality Aging and retirement Taxes and budgets
Tags Social Security Fiscal policy Federal budget and economy Retirement policy
Policy Centers Income and Benefits Policy Center