Kent Conrad: “I think we have made a lot of progress, particularly in a couple of key areas.”

We also increase the payroll tax very modestly, from the current combined rate of 12.4 percent to 13.4 percent over 10 years.

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.

What is realistic is to deal with these changes in a way that does expand access, that does expand the opportunity for people to participate in a retirement plan at work.

It was incredibly important that we not only made Social Security solvent, but we lifted the bottom 20 percent dramatically.