Economists Doubt Social Security Overhaul

Fewer than one in four top U.S. economists think the Bush administration will succeed in pushing through an overhaul of the Social Security retirement system this year, a survey found.

“Only 24% expect the partial privatization of Social Security to be passed by Congress this year,” a panel of 37 forecasters of the National Assn. for Business Economics concluded.

President Bush is trying to convince Congress that a plan allowing workers to divert some of their payroll taxes into investment accounts is necessary.