Byron Dorgan: “The explosion of costs in Social Security to meet those demands will cause us to have serious shortfalls unless we plan…”

“The explosion of costs in Social Security to meet those demands will cause us to have serious shortfalls unless we plan for it now. It is precisely the reason we have a so-called ``surplus'' in Social Security each year. It is not truly surplus. It is to be put away in a trust fund and used for that period of time when we need it when we have maximum strength on the Social Security. The charts make the compelling case that this fiscal policy is completely out of whack. It reminds me of the joke about the guy caught stealing who said to the policeman, Are you going to believe me or your own eyes? The presentation is so clear that we are headed towards a cliff. We better stop this one way or the other and find a way to have a pause, find a way to restore some stability and solvency to the Social Security system. I intend to support both amendments.”