A Social Security ‘Disaster’ Predicted

Top Democrats in Congress toughened their attack Wednesday on President Bush’s call for personal investment accounts under Social Security and said remarks by a powerful Republican committee chairman showed GOP lawmakers had little appetite for the accounts.

Bush’s plan would mean benefit cuts, higher debt and a “disaster for the most successful social program in the history of the world,” said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Referring to comments made Tuesday by Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Bakersfield), Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, the House Democratic leader, said they were “a nonstarter even in his own party.”

Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said Tuesday that Congress should debate Social Security more broadly than Bush has suggested. He said lawmakers also should consider the possibility of giving men and women different benefits, allowing blue-collar laborers to retire earlier than white-collar workers and helping older people defray the cost of long-term care. He also said the payroll tax that funds Social Security was a barrier to job creation.

Publicly, administration officials reacted gingerly to Thomas’ comments.

Privately, some Republican officials in and out of Congress expressed concern that Thomas had broached the topic of giving women lower monthly benefits than men, who tend to have shorter life spans.

These officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to trigger a public conflict with Thomas, who would command much influence over the legislation.

Kristin Tinsworth, Thomas’ spokeswoman, said he had not advocated linking Social Security benefits to gender. “His goal was to simply ask some questions and to raise and expand the debate,” she said.

Bush has called on Congress to enact legislation that will put Social Security on a stronger financial footing, and include personal accounts as part of the measure. Administration officials have told allies they are considering a plan that would give future retirees lower benefits than they are now promised.