A full week of the AJC is available free of charge. We expect to have the newspaper online soon. Please check back later this morning. Social Security is a challenge now. If we fail to act, it will be a crisis,'' said Bush, whose commission is made up of Republicans and Democrats who favor partially privatizing the federal retirement plan.
Democratic leaders oppose that idea.
The commission is to present its findings to Bush in the fall, and should include a plan to allow younger workers to invest a portion of their payroll taxes in private accounts. The president, of course, is going to appoint commissioners who will help him implement the promises he made in his campaign,'' said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. This is a stacked, completely orchestrated effort to come to a desired result,'' said Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle. By 2016, Social Security is expected to start paying out more than it collects because of an influx of baby boom retirees. The fund will run out of cash after 2038.