Kent Conrad: “I think we do have an extraordinary challenge, and the question for all of us: Are we up to this challenge?”

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

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

It takes guts to do that, and Chairman Arrington, you have certainly led the charge on having a commission.