Social Security at 80: Modest but politically difficult changes could save massive program

WASHINGTON — As Social Security approaches its 80th birthday Friday, the federal government's largest benefit program stands at a pivotal point in its history.

Relatively modest changes to taxes and benefits could still save it for generations of Americans to come, but Congress must act quickly, and even limited changes are politically difficult.

The longer lawmakers wait, the harder it will become to maintain Social Security as a program that pays for itself, a key feature since President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act on Aug. 14, 1935.

http://www.startribune.com/social-security-at-80-modest-changes-could-save-program/321168371/