Centrists.Org - The Policy Think Tank for Centrists

07.26.2005 CAFTA – A Solid Day’s Work Advancing America’s Economic and Security Interests 06.24.2005 Summary and Analysis of Senator DeMint’s “Stop the Raid on Social Security Act of 2005” 06.15.2005 Ways And Means Mock-Up Document Makes Constructive Improvements In DR- CAFTA
03.23.2005	A Preliminary Analysis of Sen. Hagel's Social Security Proposal



Policy Resource Pages	Social Security Reform and Personal Accts. Transitional Health Coverage (Unemployed) Medicare and Rx Drugs

Legislative Resources	2005 Social Security Reform and Personal Accounts Resource Page (incl. the Kolbe-Boyd and Hagel proposals) Medicare and Rx Drug Resource Page Sen. Lieberman's Present Value Budgeting Bill (S. 1915) Sen. Voinovich's Tax Reform Commission Proposal, as passed in the Senate FSC-ETI bill (S. 1637) More...

CentristPolicyNetwork.Org homepage... archives...

NEW! Centrists.Org Energy and Environment Policy Project Framework
02.03.2006 || Centrists.Org is launching a new project to examine solutions in energy and environmental policy. The "Framework" sets out the guidelines and priorities that will guide Centrists.Org's team.

Nonpartisan Social Security System Reform Plan

12.14.2005 || A nonpartisan Social Security System reform plan, drafted by three Social Security experts from across the political spectrum, has been released today. The plan puts great emphasis on fiscal responsibility, while demonstrating that, despite the contentiousness of the recent Social Security debate, compromise is possible.

The Centrist Case for CAFTA

07.27.2005 || The U.S. House of Representatives will be voting on the Central American Free Trade Agreement this week. Although the countries involved in CAFTA are too small to have much of an effect – positive or negative – on the U.S. economy, the agreement is important as a signal of the continued US commitment to liberalized trade and to the fortunes of our Latin American neighbors. Moreover, the legislation implementing CAFTA has been improved, particularly in the area of labor standards, as the result of efforts by centrists Democrats in the House and Senate.

Joint Statement On The Need For Pay-As-You-Go Discipline
6.23.2005 || The five organizations joining in this statement have warned that large, chronic budget deficits pose a threat to the economic health of our nation. For that reason, we are increasingly alarmed at the apparent willingness of lawmakers to propose new initiatives, without offsets, that would increase deficits in both the short and long term. At a time when fiscal policies should be focused on reducing deficits in recognition of the enormous strains that the retirement of the baby-boom generation will soon place on federal resources, failure to offset new initiatives on a pay-as-you-go basis would send a dangerous signal that fiscal discipline in Washington has all but disappeared. At the very least, lawmakers need to stop digging the hole deeper.

Upcoming Event: The Keys to a Bipartisan Social Security Bill
Please join Centrists.Org and The Heritage Foundation for lunch on Friday, June 24^th, as former Congressman Charles Stenholm, and Heritage Vice President, Stuart Butler address what should be included in a bipartisan Social Security reform bill.

Upcoming News Conference: Watchdog Groups Call For Offsetting The Costs Of Tax And Entitlement Measures To Halt Expansion Of Deficits And Debt
Five budget watchdog groups will hold a News Conference Thursday, June 23^rd at 10:00 a.m. (ET) to issue a joint statement calling on Congress to offset both the short- and long-term costs of all future tax cuts and increases in entitlement programs.

A Preliminary Analysis of the Wexler Social Security Bill

05.24.2005 || Congressman Robert Wexler has announced his intention to introduce legislation which is intended to resolve Social Security's funding shortfall by raising taxes on upper income workers. This is a welcome break from the reluctance of Congressional Democrats to put proposals forward to deal with the financial challenges facing Social Security.

Upcoming Event: Progressive Changes to Social Security: Can It Lead to a Bipartisan Solution for Social Security?
Please join Centrists.Org and The Alliance for Worker Retirement Security on May 18^th as Robert C. Pozen, Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL), & Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), discuss their proposals for progressive changes in the Social Security benefit formula and the prospects for bipartisan agreement on a progressive approach to Social Security reform. Former Congressman Charlie Stenholm (D, TX) will moderate.

The Breakdown in the Bipartisan Consensus on Trade
05.11.2005 || The decision of the leaders of the New Democratic Coalition to oppose the Dominican Republic – Central American Free Trade Agreement was a disappointing departure from the constructive role centrist Democrats have played in previous trade bills.

Does the Increase In Revenues Mean the Budget Outlook Has Turned Around?
5.10.05 || On May 5, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released new monthly budget figures, which indicates that if revenues and outlays maintain their current trend, the deficit will be better than forecast, possibly in the range of $350 billion. This improvement is due almost entirely to higher than anticipated revenues.

President Bush Calls for Making Tough Choices In a Progressive Manner to Restore Social Security Solvency
04.29.2005 || President Bush will endorse a Social Security reform proposal which would make benefit changes to close the financing gap facing Social Security in a progressive manner. These changes would have a greater impact on higher wage workers who are not as dependent on Social Security benefits for retirement income.

Press Release 4-7-2005: Stenholm Joins Centrists.Org Board of Directors

AARP “Victory” In Court Would Reduce Retiree Health Benefits
03.30.2005 || Yesterday's decision by the U.S. District Court striking down regulations exempting an employer’s coordination of retiree health benefits with eligibility for Medicare or state-sponsored retiree health benefits from the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) represents a victory of ideology over common sense and will likely result in a reduction in retiree health benefits.

2005 Social Security Trustees Report Reaffirms the Need for Action on Social Security Reform
03.23.2005 || The Social Security Trustees released the annual report on the financial condition of the Social Security system this morning. The report shows that not only are the problems facing Social Security getting closer, but once the problems begin they will snowball quickly and place a rapidly growing burden on the economy and future taxpayers.

Reality Check on Social Security Reform: Personal Accounts Do Not Provide a Painless Solution 03.11.2005 || Anti-tax activist Peter Ferrara has been claiming that the Social Security reform plan he developed demonstrates that individual accounts can solve the problems facing Social Security without benefit reductions or revenue increases. If that sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is.

Commentary: Op-Ed by Ruth Marcus

03.09.2005 || The Social Security debate has been dominated by those who advocate individual accounts to advance an ideological agenda and Democrats who reflexively oppose individual accounts. An op-ed by Ruth Marcus in the Washington Post highlights one of the responsible voices in the debate.

Commentary: Restoring Common Sense to the Social Security Debate, Op-Ed by Tim Penny and Charlie Stenholm

03.09.2005 || Former Democratic Congressman Charlie Stenholm and Tim Penny published an op-ed in Roll Call this week calling for a more reasoned discussion of Social Security reform.

Two Social Security Editorials Provide a Refreshing Break
02.11.2005 || The flood of articles and commentary regarding the future of Social Security has produced far more heat than light over the last several weeks, largely drowning any serious discussion of the issue.

Rhetoric Versus Reality in the President's Budget: A Package Touting Fiscal Discipline Laden with Hidden Costs and Unbalanced Sacrifice
02.08.2005 || The administration is portraying the President’s budget that was released yesterday as an austere budget that makes tough choices in order to reign in the deficit. Unfortunately, the administration’s newfound deficit hawk vigor appears to apply only to the priorities of others, but not to any of the President’s priorities.

Progressive Approaches to Benefit Changes In Social Security Reform
01.26.2005 || The New York Times reports that the Bush administration is considering proposals which would make benefit changes to close the financing gap facing Social Security in a progressive manner. Such a change would satisfy a key centrist criterion: Hold down costs, but strengthen the safety net.

Is Social Security's Financial Future In Jeopardy? Three Perspectives, Similar Conclusions
01.25.2005 || Centrists.Org and The Alliance for Worker Retirement Security co-hosted an event featuring Steve Goss, Doug Holtz-Eakin, & Dave Walker. The panelists discussed their respective estimates and perspectives of the size and nature of financial challenges facing Social Security. Click here for their presentations: Steve Goss, Doug Holtz-Eakin (CBO Report), Dave Walker. Transcript coming soon! Original Event Announcement.

Press Release 1-21-2005: Non-Partisan Consensus Calls for Facing Social Security's Financial Challenges Sooner Than Later

Updated Detailed Issue Summary: Social Security
01.20.2005 ||  Issue Summaries are an up-to-date, on-line reference on topics studied by Centrists.Org.

Commentary: Moment of Truth for Social Security
01.07.2005 || Centrists should be heartened by a memo from a senior White House official acknowledging that individual accounts are not a magic bullet that will solve the challenges facing Social Security on their own.

Upcoming Event: Is Social Security's Financial Future In Jeopardy? Three Perspectives, Similar Conclusions Please join Centrists.Org and The Alliance for Worker Retirement Security on January 21^st as Steve Goss, Chief Actuary of the Social Security Administrat-ion, Doug Holtz-Eakin, Director of CBO, & Dave Walker, Comptroller General of the United States , discuss their respective estimates and perspectives of the size and nature of financial challenges facing Social Security. (Effective 1-17-05, the event has been moved to a NEW LOCATION. The time and date remain the same.)

Press Release 12-23-2004: Centrists.Org Opens Montana Branch Office to Study Environmental Issues in the West  Nationwide interest in the Western US spurred Centrists.Org to expand its think tank operations beyond Capitol Hill. Centrists.Org opened a research office in Sheridan, Montana in November 2004 to study and develop positions on natural resource and environmental issues in the West.

Commentary: Op-Ed by Senators Graham (R-SC)and Conrad (D-ND)
12.23.2004 || An op-ed authored by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) in USA Today sets out guidelines for the Social Security debate that could form the foundation for a constructive dialogue toward a bipartisan solution to the challenges facing Social Security.

Press Release 11-18-04: Ed Lorenzen to Join Centrists.Org Centrists.Org welcomes Ed Lorenzen as Executive Director. "I believe that Centrists.Org has a vital role to play in finding constructive middle ground solutions which bridge the ideological divide on policy issues. Americans are best served when the best ideas of both sides are blended together to reach balanced, reasonable positions,” says Lorenzen.

Briefing and Perspective: The Flu Vaccine Crisis
11.03.2004 || On October 5^th, flu vaccine manufacturer Chiron announced that there would be a halt to vaccine production this year. Policymakers need to identify practical ways to provide incentives and simplify vaccine production so that breaks in the supply chain will not produce the devastating panic situation that we see in the news today.

US Commission on Ocean Policy Issues Final Report: "An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century"
10.29.2004 || The Bush-appointed US Commission on Ocean Policy published its final report in late September. Presenting more than 200 recommendations, the report is an ambitious effort at revamping the way America views, and treats, its oceans.

The Spending Nobody's Talking About: Interest and Non-War Related Discretionary Outlays
10.18.2004 || The fastest growing major categories of federal spending in 2005 are projected to be defense and war-related outlays (12.2 percent), interest on the public debt (11.9 percent), non-war related discretionary outlays (4.6 percent), and entitlements (4.2 percent).

Progressivity Analysis of Senator Graham's Social Security Proposal (CentristPolicyNetwork.Org)
10.17.2004 || A new report from the Social Security Administration includes a "distributional" analysis, identifying the winners and losers under Sen. Graham's reform plan. In general, low-income workers would fare better under reform than under the current benefit system.

Press Release 10-7-04: Jeff Lemieux to Join AHIP; Scott Payne to Launch Energy and Environment Project; Kelly Buck to be Interim Executive Director and Project Manager for the Energy and Environmental Policy Project

Centrists.Org and Common Good Co-Host Event to Discuss Health Courts
9.30.2004 || On Tuesday, September 28th, Centrists.Org and Common Good co-hosted a luncheon on special-
ized health courts featuring Nancy Udell, Common
Good's Director of Policy, and David B. Kendall, Senior Fellow for Health Policy and Director of Health Priorities Project at the Progressive Policy Institute.  Steve Northrup, health policy advisor to Senator Mike Enzi moderated.

Social Security "Add-On" Accounts with Benefit Offset
revised 09.27.2004 ||  Personal add-on accounts could help balance future Social Security benefits and available revenues without the "transition costs" associated with other reform proposals.  A breakthrough bipartisan idea?

Briefing: Federal Activity on Implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
revised 09.09.2004 || Although everyone seems to agree that patients should have secure, portable records of their medical history and current treatments, there is no consensus on the policies needed to achieve that goal.

Charts: Uninsured Now 45 Million, 2004 Health Insurance Premiums Up 11.2 Percent
revised 09.09.2004 ||  Last month, the Census Bureau reported that the number of people without health insurance rose by 1.4 million in 2004, to 45 million. This morning, the Kaiser Family Foundation announced an 11.2 percent increase in health insurance premiums in 2004.

Press Release 8-25-04: Centrists.Org Releases Report on Bipartisan Potential of Senator Kerry’s Health Proposal

Policy Report: Senator Kerry's Health Proposal -- Prospects for Bipartisanship?
Report in .PDF format (easier to print)
08.25.2004 || Senator Kerry's proposal avoids the usual pitfalls of Democratic health reform efforts.  Several elements of the plan are likely to attract on-going bipartisan support, regardless of who wins the election. Modified versions of Kerry's plan could be scaled to fit the budget, with costs ranging from roughly $200 billion over 10 years to $700 billion or more.

The Administration's Bogus War Budget
08.05.2004 || In its new mid-session budget, the Bush Administration understates the likely cost of military deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan by as much as $200 billion over the next 5 years.

Spinsanity's New Book: Shining a Light on "He-Said, She-Said" Journalism (CentristPolicyNetwork.Org)
08.05.2004 || All the President's Spin, by the founders of Spinsanity.com argues that the media often reduce even the most ridiculous claims by public figures to a "balanced" but uninformative political spitting match.

Bush's Economic Report Card: Timely Stimulus, Poor "Bang for the Buck," Disastrous Budgeting
08.02.2004 || A new study by Economy.com gives the Bush Administration credit for recognizing the need for fiscal stimulus, but flunks its actual policies.

GDP Figures Imply Economic Stimulus Receding, But Recovery Still in Place
07.30.2004 || U.S. economic growth dropped to 3 percent in the second quarter. Rising gas prices no doubt crimped consumer spending, and the economic stimulus that sparked a surge of growth last year is now dissipating.

Rising Health Costs Reduce Wage Growth
07.29.2004 || This morning's new Employment Cost Index data contain three lessons: (1) in dollar terms, wages are growing at the slowest pace in 20 years, (2) adjusted for inflation, wage growth is falling again, and (3) rising health costs are one reason wage growth is so sluggish.

A Bipartisan Children's Savings Account Bill (CentristPolicyNetwork.Org)
revised 07.23.2004 || The ASPIRE Act would make every American a financial "stakeholder" from birth. This is the sort of big centrist idea that Senator Kerry and President Bush should be discussing with voters.

CBO's New Estimates of Social Security Reform Proposals
07.23.2004 || CBO has released three new reports on the Kolbe-Stenholm Social Security bill and President Bush's Social Security proposal.  Legislators are bombarded with politically motivated gibberish masquerading as analysis -- CBO's new work sets a higher standard.

Iowa's Redistricting Process: An Example of the Right Way to Draw Legislative Districts
revised 07.22.2004 || In a time of bitter partisanship, the redistricting process in Iowa is refreshingly non-political. Iowa should be used as a model in revising redistrict-ing processes across the country.

Commentary and Outline: Senator Frist's Health Reform Proposal
revised 07.19.2004 || Between Senator Frist's new plan and Senator Kerry's campaign proposal, we have a coherent framework for bipartisan action on health costs and coverage.

Charts: Inflation Shows Signs of Settling Down
07.16.2004 || This morning's CPI report says prices continued to risk briskly in June, but "core" inflation -- excluding volatile energy and food prices -- is moderating.

Class Action Reform and a Congress That Can't (CentristPolicyNetwork.Org)
07.08.2004 || Hyper-partisanship and leadership failures explain why real problems -- like the abuse of class action lawsuits -- continue to go unaddressed.

Book Summary: Pete Peterson's Running on Empty
07.06.2004 || A short, chapter-by-chapter summary of the important new book, which explains how Democrats' fealty to entitlements and Republicans' devotion to tax cuts threaten to bankrupt the nation.

The FSC-ETI Bills Highlight the Need for Tax and Budget Reform
revised 07.06.2004 || The Senate-passed FSC-ETI bill includes a tax reform commission to begin the process of simplifying and rationalizing the tax code, especially for corporate and international taxation.

Improving the Medicare Drug Discount Cards
06.22.2004 || With a few technical fixes and one big attitude adjustment, the Medicare discount cards will be a successful new model of a public-private partnership.

A Constructive Conservative Approach on Health Coverage for Small Business
06.21.2004 || A new report by the Heritage Foundation's Stuart Butler exhorts conservatives to improve employer-based coverage, not reject it. This is good practical advice, and it should help reduce the fear factor that sometimes accompanies conservative health ideology.

Testimony: Comparing Social Security Reform Proposals
06.15.2004 ||  To cut through the political noise and cultivate some bipartisanship, we need accessible, unbiased explanations of how reform proposals would impact the budget and affect workers.
Charts and Tables Only:  web format (html) printable format (PDF)

CBO vs. Trustees on Social Security: A New Model Tells A Similar Story
preliminary 06.14.2004 || CBO's new model is really telling us the same story: Social Security benefits will jump by about 2 percentage points of GDP over the next 25 years, while revenues stay roughly flat.

Where Will the Deficit Go From Here? New Long-Term Budget Projections
06.03.2004 || Under realistic assumptions, the annual federal deficit is poised to hover around $400 billion through 2007, between 3 and 4 percent of GDP. After that, the deficits will grow as the first waves of baby boomers leave the workforce and join the entitlement rolls.

Democratic Leaders Should Embrace the Drug Discount Cards (CentristPolicyNetwork.Org)
06.02.2004 || The Medicare drug cards do no harm, might actually help quite a few people, and offer a significant benefit to low-income seniors.

Commentary: Cover the Uninsured? Not This Week
05.11.2004 || What a joke. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is allegedly spending $100 million to publicize "Cover The Uninsured Week." Meanwhile, Congress re-hashes old failed dead proposals and the Bush Administration offers nothing of consequence.

It's The Sunsets, Stupid! CBO and JCT Should Show the Extended Cost of Expiring Provisions
05.03.2004 ||  The use of sunset provisions has distorted the budget process and can make a mockery of budget rules. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) should show the full, 10-year cost of expiring tax cuts or spending bills in the footnotes to their official estimates.

Testimony: Prepared Statement for the HHS Task Force on Drug Importation
04.27.2004 ||  Free import and export of drug prices may seem like a good deal for rich countries with high prices. But it could be a bad deal for poor countries, which would not be offered low prices for medicines.

Private Health Plans in Medicare -- Cost Trends and Ideological Battles
04.21.2004 || This report attempts to put the debate over Medicare's private health plans into perspective, using new calculations of spending trends and a characterization of the political forces battling over the prospect of direct public-private competition in Medicare.