{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://cole.house.gov/washington-post-how-you-would-fix-social-security-sooner-rather-later", "Washington Post: How you would fix Social Security: Sooner rather than later", "2014-10-29", "2014", "2014-10", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Tom Cole", "C001053", "cole.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington Post - Jonnelle Marte\nAbout a month ago, the Post invited readers to chime in on what they thought were the best ways to fix Social Security.\u00a0\nWith the help of the Center for Retirement Research, we presented an array of 12 solutions commonly suggested for the retirement system, which is projected to be so depleted that it will be unable to pay full benefits by 2033. \u00a0Then we asked readers to pick the options they would consider.\nThis week we\u2019re reporting on the solutions that have resonated with the most readers. We\u2019re tallying the results we\u2019ve seen so far, but you can still check out the graphic and choose the solutions you think would work best.\u00a0\nOne thing was clear from the first month\u2019s responses to our question about how to fix Social Security: Readers want something to get done.\nOnly 2 percent of responses were in favor of \u201cdoing nothing,\u201d which would mean that after 2033 \u2013when the Social Security trust fund is expected to be depleted\u2013 retirement benefits would be cut by 23 percent. And only 3 percent of responses said it would be a good idea to put off raising taxes until after the trust fund is depleted, at which point a steep tax hike would be needed to pay benefits.\n\u201cPeople recognize the problem and that something needs to be done,\u201d says Catherine Collinson, president of the nonprofit TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies, which conducted a survey earlier this year that reached a similar conclusion.\nOnly 9 percent of the people surveyed by the center said they would do nothing to reform Social Security. Close to a third, or 28 percent, said they wanted to increase taxes. Fourteen percent said they wanted to cut benefits and another 28 percent said they favored a more balanced approach.\nStill, anyone watching the program inch closer and closer to its long-expected funding shortfall might say they\u2019d be happy to see lawmakers take any approach. Social Security hasn\u2019t been changed substantially since 1983, the last time the trust fund was close to zero.\nAnd it\u2019s not looking like lawmakers will have reason to take action any time soon\u2013 or at least not for a couple of years. Some analysts think Congress will consider reforming the program in two years when the Social Security disability trust fund is expected to be depleted, leading to a 20 percent cut in disability benefits.\n\u201cHistorically, you would simply transfer from Social Security, basically kick the can down the road,\u201d says William Hoagland, a senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank based in Washington. \u201cWe don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to be as easy this time around.\u201d\nThere are already some efforts underway. In May, Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and John Delaney (D-Md.) introduced a bill that would create a bipartisan commission to improve Social Security. And the Bipartisan Policy Center, launched a commission in the spring that will create a list of policy recommendations for improving retirement security, including Social Security. Still, it\u2019s not clear if and when those recommendations might lead to change.\nBy basically rejecting the solutions that called for \u201cpassing the problem off to the next generation,\u201d readers suggested that they want to improve Social Security not just for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren. \u201cThey would much rather see Congress take action now,\u201d says David Brown, senior policy advisor for the Economic Program at Third Way, a centrist think tank based in Washington.\nReaders also seem to support a more balanced approach. For a program that typically divides voters and politicians into two camps, (Raise taxes! Cut benefits!) readers seemed to favor a little bit of each.\nInstead, Congress is giving them the exact opposite of what they want: nothing at all.\nOnline: Washington Post", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://cole.house.gov/washington-post-how-you-would-fix-social-security-sooner-rather-later"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9676851332187653, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}