Kent Conrad: “We need about an $8 billion infusion to make it through the rest of the year.”

The one thing I know for sure is that what is happening now is not working.

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.

I do, and I made that argument to the commission, and others on the commission made some of the points that you are making now.

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