Democrats arguing for high-income tax increases and Republicans attempting to avoid high-income tax increases should realize the "middle class simply can't be spared" from tax increases that are needed to reduce the deficit, Gene Steuerle of the Tax Policy Center said in a December 14 column.

C. Eugene Steuerle draws lessons from the 1986 reform efforts, explaining how they can help lawmakers and policymakers navigate today's tax labyrinth and pursue comprehensive reform.

In a June 1 column, the Urban Institute's C. Eugene Steuerle argued that Republicans and Democrats often take stances that are counterproductive to their stated principles and said as an example that "Republicans opposing all tax increases essentially favor larger government."

The real issue regarding Social Security solvency is not the condition of the trust fund but that the program's expenses are expected to grow by 50 percent through 2030 while taxes are not, according to a March 24 analysis by Eugene Steuerle of the Urban Institute.

In a January 6 column, Urban Institute fellow Eugene Steuerle said a portion of Medicare is funded by borrowing from China and other sources, and current and future retirees will "continue to shunt many of their future Medicare costs onto younger generations, just as their parents did with Social Security," unless the system is reformed.