Tip O'Neill

The Democratic Speaker fought Reagan hard but made deals with him, most importantly the 1983 Social Security amendments based on the Greenspan Commission: higher payroll taxes, taxation of some benefits and a gradual rise in the retirement age to 67. Both sides agreed to share the political pain, which is why it passed. O'Neill also negotiated the 1986 tax reform's passage in the House. The retirement age rise remains a target for critics on the left, and the deal is often cited as the last of its kind on entitlements.