Conservative Think-Tank Releases ‘Solutions For America’ Agenda For 2010

Seeking to show that conservatives have alternative solutions to President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, The Heritage Foundation on Tuesday released a 46-page plan, called "Solutions for America."

The conservative group hopes the blueprint will be a major part of the 2010 mid-term elections -- an updated “Contract with America,” the platform that helped sweep Republicans to a congressional majority in 1994.

“Solutions for America,” addresses entitlements, runaway spending, defense, immigration, welfare, health care and other matters.

“It mimics some aspects of the [Contract With America]. Welfare reform was in the contract. This takes it to the next level,” Michael Franc, vice president of government relations for the conservative think tank, told CNSNews.com at a press conference.

“This goes way beyond the contract in many ways by basically looking at what needs to be done about the entitlement state, what needs to be done about the relationship with the federal and state governments, immigration are in here. We have a broader scope than the contract ever had,” he added.

The report tackles entitlements, at a time when about 77 million baby boomers are flooding into Social Security and Medicare. The plan calls for requiring Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – “The Big Three” -- to live within firm, congressionally approved budgets.

“Currently, Big Three spending is on autopilot – increasing automatically year after year,” the plan says. “Entitlement spending must be brought into the congressional budgetary process.”

On the current track, entitlement spending is set to go from 20 percent of the economy to 50 percent, the plan says. Further, if taxes remain at historical average, spending on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will consume all revenues by 2052.

It also calls for allowing people over 65 to continue working without paying FICA taxes, which would be an incentive not to move onto Social Security as quickly, and allow them to keep private health insurance through their jobs instead of Medicare – easing the strain on the two programs.

Entitlements are part of a wider problem of spending. Federal spending is at its highest level since World War II. The president’s proposal budget outlook would increase the national debt from $13 trillion now to $20 trillion by 2020.

The Heritage plan suggests a firm cap on overall spending and limiting future year-to-year growth to inflation plus population growth.

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