[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 11, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S808-S809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


SENATE RESOLUTION 44--AUTHORIZING EXPENDITURES BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE 
                                ON AGING

  Mr. COHEN (for himself and Mr. Pryor) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and 
Administration:

                               S. Res. 44

       Resolved, That, in carrying out its powers, duties, and 
     functions under the Standing Rules of the Senate, in 
     accordance with its jurisdiction under rule XXV of such 
     rules, including holding hearings, reporting such hearings, 
     and making investigations as authorized by paragraphs 1 and 8 
     of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Special 
     Committee on Aging is authorized from March 1, 1995, through 
     February 29, 1996, and March 1, 1996, through February 28, 
     1997, in its discretion--
       (1) to make expenditures from the contingent fund of the 
     Senate,
       (2) to employ personnel, and
       (3) with the prior consent of the Government department or 
     agency concerned and the Committee on Rules and 
     Administration, to use on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable 
     basis the services of personnel of any such department or 
     agency.
       Sec. 2. (a) The expenses of the committee for the period 
     March 1, 1995, through February 29, 1996, under this 
     resolution shall not exceed $1,025,746.
       (b) For the period March 1, 1996, through February 28, 
     1997, expenses of the committee under this resolution shall 
     not exceed $1,048,589.
       Sec. 3. The committee shall report its findings, together 
     with such recommendations for legislation as it deems 
     advisable, to the Senate at the earliest practicable date, 
     but not later than February 29, 1996, and February 28, 1997, 
     respectively.
       Sec. 4. Expenses of the committee under this resolution 
     shall be paid from the contingent fund of the Senate upon 
     vouchers approved by the chairman of the committee, except 
     that vouchers shall not be required--
       (1) for the disbursement of salaries of employees paid at 
     an annual rate,
       (2) for the payment of telecommunications provided by the 
     Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, United States 
     Senate,
       (3) for the payment of stationery supplies purchased 
     through the Keeper of the Stationery, United States Senate,
       (4) for payments to the Postmaster, United States Senate,
       (5) for the payment of metered charges on copying equipment 
     provided by the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and 
     Doorkeeper, United States Senate, or
       (6) for the payment of Senate Recording and Photographic 
     Services.
       Sec. 5. There are authorized such sums as may be necessary 
     for agency contributions related to the compensation of 
     employees of the committee from March 1, 1995, through 
     February 29, 1996, and March 1, 1996, through February 28, 
     1997, to be paid from the Appropriations account for 
     ``Expenses of Inquiries and Investigations.''.

 Mr. COHEN. Mr. President, on behalf of myself and Senator 
Pryor, I am pleased to submit a resolution to provide funding from the 
contingent fund of the Senate for operational moneys for the Senate 
Special Committee on Aging for the years 1995 and 1996. I am hopeful 
that the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration will approve this 
funding request.
  The amounts contained in this budget request fully comply with the 
direction of the Rules Committee to reduce the operational budget of 
the committee substantially below the 1994 budget authorization level.
  Senator Pryor and I are fully committed to implementing these 
reductions in both the salary and administrative portions of the 
committee budget. We believe that the budget submissions we are 
providing today to the Rules Committee reflect the commitment of 
myself, as chairman, and Senator Pryor, as ranking member, to make the 
operations of the committee as efficient as possible and to support the 
leadership's goal of reducing the number of Senate staff. We are 
confident that the
 committee will be able to pursue a very active agenda of oversight, 
investigations, and consumer education within these staffing levels.

  The Special Committee on Aging plays a critical oversight function to 
the Congress and the American taxpayer. While some of the programs and 
issues reviewed by the committee are within the legislative purview of 
other committees, the Aging Committee conducts essential oversight and 
investigations of these programs to ensure that they are serving the 
needs of older Americans and taxpayers.
  This past Congress, for example, the committee examined a broad array 
of issues affecting the elderly, including major fraud and abuse scams 
targeting Medicare; drug addicts manipulating the Social Security 
disability programs; trends of escalating out-of-pocket health care 
costs of older Americans, including prescription drug and long-term 
care costs; crime against the elderly; and consumer scams targeting 
senior citizens. In many instances, findings and recommendations of the 
committee with respect to the issues it 
[[Page S809]] examined resulted in major legislative reforms, many of 
which have been enacted into law.
  This year, the Aging Committee stands ready and able to take on a 
host of issues affecting older Americans. Some of the issues we plan to 
address this year will be investigating fraud and abuse in the Medicare 
and Medicaid programs and recommending proposals to better protect 
these programs and their beneficiaries from fraudulent practices; 
evaluating and recommending improvements in the administration of the 
Social Security disability programs to ensure a more efficient 
expenditure of taxpayer dollars; and evaluating the effects of 
entitlement reform on programs serving the elderly and retired 
populations. We will also continue to evaluate the effects of health 
care reform proposals on the elderly, including proposals to assist 
older Americans and their families bear the exorbitant costs of long-
term care.
  Mr. President, for more than 30 years, the Special Committee on Aging 
has overseen the needs and trends of our Nation's aging population and 
the programs that serve current and future generations of older 
Americans. It has been my great pleasure and honor to serve under the 
able leadership of Senator Pryor as chairman of the Aging Committee and 
I look forward to working closely with him in his new capacity as 
ranking member of the committee in a bipartisan, cooperative spirit 
that has been the tradition of the committee for over 30 years.
  We look forward to the challenges the 104th Congress will hold for 
the Aging Committee, and urge the Rules Committee to approve our budget 
request.


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