[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 135 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 135

    Expressing the sense of Congress with regard to preserving and 
                          expanding Medicare.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 16, 1999

  Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. Abercrombie, Ms. Lee, Mr. Nadler, Mr. 
 Coyne, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Farr of California, Mr. Hinchey, 
Mr. Hilliard, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. 
  Engel, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. 
    Watt of North Carolina, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Filner, Mr. Borski, Mr. 
 Gutierrez, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. LaFalce, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Hastings of 
     Florida, Ms. Kilpatrick, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Olver, Mr. Frank of 
Massachusetts, Mr. Matsui, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Moakley, Mr. 
Rangel, Mr. Payne, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. McGovern, 
 Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Rahall, Mr. 
Romero-Barcelo, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Weiner, Mr. Brown of California, Mr. 
 Clay, Mr. Gejdenson, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Jackson of 
 Illinois, Mr. Vento, Mr. Crowley, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. 
Tierney, Mr. Towns, Mr. Frost, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Bonior, 
 and Mr. Becerra) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
   was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of Congress with regard to preserving and 
                          expanding Medicare.

Whereas Medicare has provided guaranteed and universal health coverage to 
        millions of seniors and individuals with disabilities since its passage 
        in 1965, including 38 million current beneficiaries;
Whereas 58 percent of seniors have incomes below $15,000 per year and 60 percent 
        of Medicare beneficiaries have incomes below 200 percent of the Federal 
        poverty level;
Whereas senior citizens in this country are already paying an average of $2,150 
        per year in out-of-pocket health care expenses, despite Medicare 
        coverage;
Whereas the United States is one of the few countries in the industrialized 
        world not to provide prescription drug coverage to senior citizens;
Whereas proposals by some members of the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of 
        Medicare, such as establishing a premium support or voucher system for 
        Medicare, raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67, and 
        imposing a 10 percent home health copayment fee will cause increased 
        pain and suffering for millions of seniors and individuals with 
        disabilities;
Whereas premium support or voucher plans for Medicare will particularly hurt 
        Americans living in rural areas, low-income individuals, women, and 
        minorities; and
Whereas Medicare coverage should be expanded and improved, and not cut back: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) any premium support, privatization, or voucher plan for 
        Medicare should be rejected;
            (2) the eligibility age for Medicare should not be 
        increased;
            (3) no copayment should be imposed on home health care;
            (4) changes should be made to the Medicare program to 
        improve and extend it, such as committing 15 percent of the 
        budget surplus to ensure Medicare's solvency, adding a 
        prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program, and making 
        it easier for eligible Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in the 
        low-income Medicare assistance plans; and
            (5) the current guarantee of Medicare benefits should not 
        be eliminated.
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