Political Commentators to Debate Future of Social Security

Columbia Law hosts debate between progressive economist and former Reagan advisor

After being defunct for more than 100 years, the Columbia Law School Republicans have returned to campus to partner with the Columbia Law Young Democrats in sponsoring a program on social security reform to be held March 28, 2005, at 7:30 p.m. in Jerome Greene Hall, room 104. In response to an increasing conflict over privatization, two economists will offer their opinions on the issue and discuss other alternatives for reform. An open question-and-answer session and reception will follow the event, which is co-sponsored by the Columbia Law School Student Senate.

Greg Anrig has been vice president of programs at The Century Foundation since 1994. In that role, he supervises the creation and progress of the foundation's projects, which focus on U.S. policy related to economic and social inequality, the aging of the population, homeland security and certain international issues. He has written and made media appearances about social insurance, taxes, pensions and the economy. Before joining the foundation, he was a staff writer and Washington correspondent for Money magazine. He is the co-editor of the books Social Security: Beyond the Basics and The War on Our Freedoms: Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism.

Lawrence Kudlow is host of CNBC's "Kudlow & Company," which airs nightly. Mr. Kudlow is a nationally syndicated columnist and also maintains a blog at www.moneypolitics.net. He is a contributing editor of National Review magazine, as well as a columnist and economics editor for National Review Online. He is the author of "American Abundance: The New Economic and Moral Prosperity," published by Forbes in January 1998. For many years, Mr. Kudlow served as chief economist for a number of Wall Street firms and was recently a member of the Bush-Cheney Transition Advisory Committee. During President Reagan's first term, Mr. Kudlow was the associate director for economics and planning, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President. In addition, he has testified as an expert witness on economic matters before several congressional committees.

Robert Liebman, associate professor of political science and public affairs at Columbia University, will serve as a moderator for the discussion.

For more information about this event, please contact Georgia Prussell at [email protected].