But he also wanted to expand Medicare benefits, preserve Social Security, extend access to health care and protect the environment.
Instead it has effectively punished some of the most struggling members of British society – hitting disproportionately disabled social tenants with the bedroom tax, or making cuts to social security – while extending the disaster of right-to-buy to housing associations.
In his speech on Thursday night, Mr. Obama asked Congress to cut the amount that workers must contribute toward Social Security benefits, extending an existing measure, and to reduce, for the first time, the matching payments that employers are required to make.
And then as the debt is paid down, we'll put the interest savings back into Social Security and extend it out 55 years, and then I'll give a new incentive for savings and investment to young workers who want and should have a greater ability to build up a nest egg on their own".
Some Republican lawmakers have pushed for structural reforms to Social Security to extend its solvency.
"Is she prepared to support legislation that I have offered that would both expand Social Security benefits and extend the solvency of Social Security for the next 58 years as a result of lifting the cap on taxable income on people who earn more than $250,000 a year?
Most Republicans in the recent elections dodged the question of Social Security privatisation, and emphasised extending prescription-drug benefits.
"This decision delays the possibility of sparking growth, generating jobs and investing more in infrastructure, energy, schools, hospitals and extending social security," Mr. Fox said.
Mr. Franks, however, is also running on his strong support for the old social welfare programs, including ensuring the soundness of the Social Security trust fund and extending greater prescription drug benefits to the elderly.
PAGE A11 SLIGHT CHANGES IN OBAMA'S PLANS Senator Barack Obama appears to be altering his proposals for extending Social Security payroll taxes and raising the capital gains tax, by delaying the increases or scaling them back.
