Three More Years Until Social Security Tackled

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The year is 2009, the next president hasbeen elected, and lawmakers are finallybuckling down to overhaul Social Security.That's right, it will be another 3 yearsbefore the government will address theprospective demise of Social Security aswe know it. According to , Finance Committee ChairmanCharles Grassley (R-Iowa) recently announcedit is unlikely that lawmakers cando anything before the end of PresidentBush's second term. In October, the presidenteven stated that Congress was noteager to start such an undertaking.Reasons for putting Social Security on theback burner include the 2006 Congressionalelections and the next presidential election.Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La), head of theHouse Ways and Means Subcommittee onSocial Security, is optimistic about reform,maintaining that passing legislature in2006 or 2007 is possible. Although PresidentBush asked Congress to establish personalaccounts for individual beneficiariesand modify all necessary changes toensure its long-term feasibility, efforts toform a single plan of action have yet to berealized. Because of its uncertain future,physician-investors concerned about theirretirement should plan without the onceguaranteedSocial Security benefit.