Lawmaker wants retirement age lowered to 60 for six months

Congress could temporarily lower the age at which Americans can claim Social Security benefits as a jobs bill, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said Sunday.

Kucinich, a liberal Democrat from the Cleveland area, said a $15 billion proposal he's floating would create 1 million jobs for the U.S. economy.

The two-time presidential candidate's proposal calls for a six-month period during which people could retire at the age of 60. The program would be funded by $10 billion in bailout funds, and $5 billion in stimulus funds.

"It's voluntary and the idea is that since we already know that 70 percent of people are taking early retirement at age 62, this idea that I have would say that -- just for a limited period, on a voluntary basis only -- if people want to take retirement at age 60, we calculate that maybe a million people would take that, and create a million job openings and enable people to move into the workforce, while others would have their retirement secure," Kucinich said during an appearance on Fox News.

The congressman's proposal comes after the House had passed its own jobs proposal. The Senate is set to take a vote on its own, different $15 billion jobs bill this week.