[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 72 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 72

Expressing the sense of Congress that any legislative language approved 
 by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not reduce 
    benefits for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 1, 2011

  Mr. Conyers (for himself, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. 
Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Al Green of Texas, 
 Mr. Towns, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. 
Clarke of New York, Ms. Richardson, and Mrs. Christensen) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
    Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, 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 that any legislative language approved 
 by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not reduce 
    benefits for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients.

Whereas S. 365, the ``Budget Control Act of 2011'', creates a Joint Select 
        Committee on Deficit Reduction tasked with providing recommendations and 
        legislative language that will significantly improve the short-term and 
        long-term fiscal imbalance of the Federal Government;
Whereas large majorities of Americans want to address the deficit in a way that 
        preserves Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits;
Whereas the Medicare program reflects the Nation's commitment to the health and 
        independence of older Americans and Americans with disabilities by 
        providing health care coverage to 42 million people;
Whereas Medicare safeguards beneficiaries and their families from the ruinous 
        costs of medical treatments and prevents individuals from spending 
        unmanageable proportions of their incomes on medical care or being 
        pushed into poverty by their medical bills;
Whereas Medicaid provides a safety net for both low-income and middle-class 
        families who may have family members stricken with catastrophic illness 
        or injury or face prolonged infirmity in old age;
Whereas cuts to Medicaid would severely impact low-income families and 
        individuals with disabilities, and curtail access to critical services, 
        including nursing home and community care services;
Whereas cuts to Medicaid would limit the program's ability to provide women 
        without health care coverage with prenatal, maternity, and postnatal 
        care and hamper the United States efforts to prevent infant and prenatal 
        deaths;
Whereas Social Security provides essential financial support to almost 55 
        million people in the United States, including more than 35 million 
        retired workers;
Whereas Social Security provides modest benefits averaging $14,000 per year for 
        retired workers, based on contributions paid into Social Security over a 
        worker's lifetime of employment;
Whereas Social Security can pay full benefits through 2035;
Whereas Social Security has no borrowing authority, currently has $2.7 trillion 
        in accumulated assets, and, therefore, does not contribute to the 
        Federal budget deficit; and
Whereas the citizens of the United States deserve thoughtful and fair Social 
        Security reform to protect current and future benefits and to ensure 
        ongoing retirement security for seniors, protections for persons who 
        become disabled, and benefits for the young children and spouses of 
        deceased and disabled workers: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by the Joint 
        Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not balance the 
        budget by eroding America's hard-earned retirement plan and 
        social safety net;
            (2) Medicare's ability to deliver high quality health care 
        in a cost-efficient manner should be strengthened and its 
        benefits should be preserved for current and future retirees;
            (3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security's 
        long-term outlook should ensure that Social Security remains a 
        critical source of protection for the people of the United 
        States and their families without further increasing the 
        retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits; and
            (4) Federal funding for the Medicaid program should be 
        maintained so that senior citizens, poor and disabled children, 
        and others with disabilities are able to gain and retain access 
        to affordable health care.
                                 <all>