WASHINGTON - Struggling to breathe life into President Bush's call for sweeping Social Security legislation, Senate Republicans are considering raising the retirement age and holding down future benefits for highly paid workers.

Not among the suggestions outlined Thursday by Sen. Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is a cost-cutting approach that has drawn favorable reviews from Bush. It would curtail future benefits paid to middle-income as well as upper-income workers, a proposal that has sparked a fresh round of criticism from Democrats already opposed to the president's call for voluntary personal accounts for younger workers.

Personal savings accounts funded from payroll taxes was not a major topic during Grassley's meeting, which focused on measures that could shore up Social Security's finances, according to several officials in attendance.

The Iowa Republican declined to offer details on his presentation to Republicans on the committee, saying his intent had been to begin building a consensus within the GOP. Other officials described his presentation, speaking only on condition of anonymity.

At the same time, there was more evidence of the difficulties facing GOP leaders and the White House as they try to push a bill that has met strong Democratic opposition and public skepticism.

Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., a member of the Finance Committee, said he doubted any legislation would reach the Senate floor this summer. "I don't look for it until later on in the fall," he said.

And Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, one of 11 Republicans on the Finance Committee, expressed uncertainty about supporting the types of steps needed to achieve solvency if Democrats didn't cooperate.

Under official projections, the Social Security trust funds would pay out more in benefits than they receive in taxes beginning in 2017 and would become depleted in 2041. After that, payroll taxes would be able to cover only about 72 percent of promised benefits.

Finance Committee Republicans met at the same time two House committee chairmen unveiled legislation aimed at shoring up private pension programs.

"Without compliance reform, more companies will default on their plans or simply stop offering plans to their employees, and taxpayers will be at a greater risk of being stuck with a multibillion-dollar bailout of the PBGC," said Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio. The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp. is the federal agency that insures private pensions.

Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, also attended the news conference, underscoring that he intends to broaden Social Security legislation to include provisions affecting pensions as well as private retirement savings accounts such as 401(k)s.

"By putting them together I believe it actually speeds up the process. Instead of having three highly charged partisan fights, we'll only, unfortunately, have one," he joked.

There's partisan fighting aplenty on Social Security.

Democrats have refused to work on bipartisan legislation until Republicans and Bush drop their demand for personal investment accounts. Public opinion polling shows Bush's proposal is unpopular, despite an intensive national sales campaign on the president's part. That, in turn, makes many Republicans reluctant to act on the signature proposal of Bush's second term.

Grassley's presentation marked a new phase in the months-long debate, the first time members of the Finance Committee have discussed suggestions that could form the basis of legislation.

Under the suggestions Grassley presented, upper-wage earners of the future could expect smaller benefits than they now are scheduled to receive.

Under current law, Social Security payroll taxes are levied on the first $90,000 of an individual's income. A worker's beginning Social Security benefit at retirement is calculated based on the tax he or she has paid over his or her working life. The $90,000 figure rises annually, and the starting benefit along with it.

Under Grassley's suggestion, the $90,000 figure would continue to rise, as current law provides, but the beginning benefit would not, according to officials who attended the meeting.

These officials declined to say how quickly Grassley was suggesting the retirement age be raised in the future. Once set at 65, it has been rising slowly under the terms of 1983 legislation, and it is scheduled to reach 67 for people born after 1960.

Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., said there was agreement to adhere to Bush's call for making no change in benefits for anyone born before 1950.