States can save money and avoid removing people from the rolls if they can trim benefits, he said.

The United States also trimmed benefits, and has slipped in a ranking of which countries offer the most generous worker protection, the study reported.

In 2003, the state trimmed benefits and sold bonds to close a projected $17 billion gap in its pension funds.

To keep them solvent, Congress would need to trim benefits, raise taxes or take some combination of such steps.

Outlays for a particular program often increase even though lawmakers say they have saved money by trimming benefits or charging higher fees.

And the fact that they're trimming benefits while hoarding billions says everything.

In fact, health plans are trimming benefits to keep premium increases under 10 percent.

Ousted workers at the motor plant say the company has sped production while trimming benefits.

On Medicaid, his strategy was often to trim benefits a bit for some people so the state could provide basic health insurance coverage to others, especially children.

The budget cannot be balanced, for example, without raising taxes or trimming Medicare and other popular benefits.