Kent Conrad: “Debt has to be paid back.”

I wish I could look you in the eye and say, you know, if we just had the will, we could reverse this, and we could go back to a time when defined benefit plans were on the increase. I do not think that is in the cards.

We did a whole series of things in our Social Security reform not to discourage people from working, but to encourage them to continue working if they are able to do so.

We admire that, and I can say on both sides of the aisle, people recognize the job he did as Budget Committee Chairman.

Social Security's financial challenge affects nearly our entire society, and the solutions will require a broad-based approach.