Republican leaders have said that movement on President Bush's plans to overhaul Social Security is unlikely to happen until after Congress' August recess.
Several politicians released statements after a planned Social Security strategy session was cut short. No votes or agreements were made during last week's session, and no plans have been made for another meeting.
"There are competing demands for the time of senators and House members, so work will probably continue well after the August recess," said Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, chair of the Finance Committee, in a statement. "I won't give up trying to bridge the divide. The sooner we act, the better the choices we have to secure Social Security."
Grassley has led a Republican review of a number of Social Security proposals to increase the retirement age, change the way benefits are calculated, or both. Democrats have refused to participate in the negotiations, arguing that President Bush's plan to fund private accounts with payroll taxes would weaken Social Security's guaranteed benefits.
