John E. Sununu
IF PRESIDENT Obama ultimately signs meaningful deficit reduction legislation into law before the 2012 elections — a distinct possibility, but a long-shot nonetheless — special credit may be due for two unexpected heavyweights: Alice Rivlin and Erskine Bowles. In their own way, they have put the lie to the conventional wisdom of the left that bringing the federal budget under control will require unimaginable entitlement cuts and across the board tax increases. As members of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility, they have acted like intelligent, plain speaking adults — in Washington, this is high praise indeed.
Bowles and Rivlin certainly aren’t right-wingers, and probably wouldn’t even qualify as Blue-Dog Democrats. They both served as budget director under President Clinton, and were appointed to the deficit commission by Obama. It is all but impossible to avoid the political pressure that comes with that pedigree, but they have managed to produce something substantive, thoughtful, and deserving of an earnest debate.
Alongside former Republican Senator Alan Simpson, Bowles co-authored a deficit reduction plan that restores America’s fiscal balance. Most significant, perhaps, the proposal contains a set of adjustments to Social Security that would ensure the program’s stability and solvency for future generations. While critics will define the adjustments as “cuts,’’ consider this: the retirement age would increase from 68 in the year 2050, to 69 in the year 2075. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the policy, a one-year increase in the retirement age phased in over a 25-year period, for individuals retiring 65 years from now, hardly constitutes a draconian cut.
Rivlin joined with Republican Representative Paul Ryan, another commission member, to take on an even tougher challenge — Medicare. Their proposal places health care purchasing power directly in the hands of retirees, allowing them to buy the plan of their choice. The Medicare payment is adjusted so that the wealthy receive a lower subsidy, while lower-income seniors receive additional benefits to cover out-of-pocket expenses.
Again, some will disagree with the details of this approach, but they cannot ignore a basic truth: the plan helps restore solvency to a Medicare program which today carries an unfunded liability for taxpayers in excess of $10 trillion. It maintains universal health coverage for retirees, and it does so without raising taxes.
Both Bowles and Rivlin would be considered by most to be mild mannered, perhaps best described as intellectuals with pragmatic political experience. They don’t regularly appear as cable news talking heads, and thus may not be familiar to many outside — or inside — Washington’s beltway. But they are just what we need right now: adults in the room.
To be sure, their counterparts contributed a fair share. Senator Simpson — a man who has attained every 5th grader’s dream: earning a living as a smart-aleck — has turned bluntness into an art form. His defiant tone in defense of the commission work provides a measure of cover to any politician willing to get serious about deficit reduction. And as the incoming chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan has managed six successful reelections despite his insistence upon dealing with the budget honestly.
These two Republicans have done good work; but as a longtime friend of both, I can say what I know to be true: This is exactly what their friends expect of them. Not so with Bowles and Rivlin. There has been an overwhelming outcry on the left opposing any real changes to entitlement programs and advocating higher income and payroll taxes. These two Democratic insiders have resisted on both counts. By comparison, the limited criticism from the right stems primarily from the fact that the commission’s proposals for tax reform increased total revenues at the end of the day.
Whether you describe it as moving to the center, or just thinking outside the narrow politics of their liberal constituencies, the two have made an important contribution to the national debate. Obama has said he intends to include many commission recommendations in his February budget submission. Ryan will also incorporate them into the House budget resolution next year. As members of Congress often say, “We’re a long way from final passage.’’ But if a signing ceremony ever takes place in the Oval Office, Bowles and Rivlin should get the first souvenir pens.
John E. Sununu, a guest columnist, is a former US senator from New Hampshire. 
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
