for chain cpi came specifically from republican leaders as a necessary way to lower spending. one estimate found chaining cpi would save $121 billion over ten years. but the proposal has also drawn blowbacks from the president s own party leadership. i, myself, believe that whatever we talk about in terms of prolonging life of social security should be considered in its own place. whatever we re doing, it s about extending the life and the strength of social security. it s not about balancing the budget. and so that s some of the concerns that some of our members have. why is this in this bill? the growing shift in attitudes toward the legal ite of gay marriage according to the new nbc news/ wall street journal poll. 53% of americans believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. up two points from december. but more americans also oppose gay marriage, too. up two percentage points as well. when broken down by party, 73% of democrats and 54% of