The annual Social Security Trustees Reports have projected for several years that the current Social Security program is not sustainable over the long term under scheduled benefits and taxes. But a number of commentators have suggested that the trustees are too pessimistic in their projections, thereby painting an unnecessarily bleak picture of the outlook for Social Security. Charles P. Blahous, a special assistant to President George W. Bush for economic policy who focuses on Social Security, will examine the trustees' track record as well as the variables that may bear upon the accuracy of their current projections. Stephen C. Goss, chief actuary of the Social Security Administration, and John Sabelhaus, unit chief of long-term modeling at the Congressional Budget Office, will comment. Kent Smetters of AEI will moderate.
