Progressives need to take a broad and bold approach to preserving and enhancing Social Security in order to ensure a secure retirement for all Americans.

Make the economy work. Most importantly, progressives must champion economic policies that benefit the many and not simply the few. With full employment and rising wages, Social Security’s projected shortfall can be reduced, and Americans will be able to save more and demand better retirement benefits from employers. A universal health care system would reduce the health care burden on individual families and protect seniors against soaring drug and medical costs. Improved energy policies can help Americans save more by sparing them from rapidly-rising gas and home heating prices.

Strengthen Social Security. Progressives must work to protect Social Security from future assaults. Our number one priority must be to guarantee that all American workers have access to the retirement benefits that they have earned over the course of their working lives.

Hold each generation accountable for funding Social Security. Progressives must embrace generational responsibility and advocate for increased national savings. As the baby boomers begin to retire, progressives must advance a vision for increasing national savings now to provide for future retirements. Tax cuts for the wealthy and out-of-control government spending have set the clock back on national savings.

Help Americans save. Progressives should also champion new ideas to help with personal savings. Congress has tried to help with tax deductions for retirement accounts, but this mostly helps the affluent at the top of the pay scale. These benefits should be consolidated into one tax-free savings account, in which the government provides a partial match for the savings of low-income workers (who don’t benefit from the Bush tax breaks).