Too hot to touch?

Neither of the two presumptive major party presidential nominees wants to seriously discuss Social Security. But political cowardice is no substitute for statesmanship. The longer Congress does nothing, the worse the problem gets for retirees and those nearing retirement.

Last week, the Social Security trustees released their annual report on the fiscal state of the program. The news could have been worse, but it wasn’t good. Absent reform, recipients will see benefit cuts beginning in 2035. That’s a one-year improvement from last year’s analysis, but the looming cliff remains in view.

The report on Medicare was a bit better. The government health-care program for the elderly is now expected to remain solvent until 2036, five years later than was projected last year.

Simply put, however, these programs aren’t sustainable long term without congressional action. Without that, Social Security will be able to deliver only 83 percent of promised benefits in 11 years, while a dozen years from now Medicare will have the funds to cover just 89 percent of Part A benefits.

But President Joe Biden, his likely Republican opponent Donald Trump and most members of Congress have no interest diving into the deep end of the entitlement debate for fear of angering seniors, who tend to vote. Yet paralysis has consequences and will make it more difficult to phase in any fixes.