The top two leaders of the U. S. House oppose any effort to increase Social Security taxes, saying that increasing taxes would not be a fundamental reform. And President Bush says he has to convince the country and Congress that Social Security benefits are at risk, or his proposed reforms are going nowhere. Thus, the administration already is negotiating with itself and signaling that it will take any reforms Congress will enact.

The top two leaders of the U. S. House oppose any effort to increase Social Security taxes, saying that increasing taxes would not be a fundamental reform. And President Bush says he has to convince the country and Congress that Social Security benefits are at risk, or his proposed reforms are going nowhere. Thus, the administration already is negotiating with itself and signaling that it will take any reforms Congress will enact.