In Monday's issue of the Salem Statesman Journal, Dana Haynes sits down with Oregon's junior Senator, Republican Gordon Smith, to talk about his plans for his upcoming chairmanship of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Here's a preview:

Q: The (Bush) administration has been focusing on Social Security, which faces a $3.7 trillion long-term liability. Medicare is looking at $27.7 trillion in unfunded promises in the next 75 years. Do you plan on using this new committee to bring the administration's attention to the larger problem, the more immediate problem of Medicare?

A: Yes, very much so. Social Security is a very actuarially determinative problem (that is; the problems could be improved by actuaries who calculate statistical risks). Medicare, on the other hand, is very, very difficult to get your hands around, to fully understand how best to proceed.

Q: As I understand it, the Hospital Trust Fund, the largest part of Medicare, will exhaust its surplus by about 2019. I can think of only two fixes: increase the payroll tax or cut hospitalization benefits. Is there a third thing I'm not thinking of? Neither of those would be very popular.

A: Part of the benefit to the Medicare modification in the last Congress -- adding a prescription-drug benefit -- was that there were a number of reforms in it that we hope will shine a light on what are the best ways to proceed. And certainly Oregon, with its experience in health-care reform, has some very valuable experiences that can benefit the whole country.

If you're interested, you should check out the rest of the interview.