[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 18, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S5483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-119. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts relative to 
     Social Security; to the Committee on Finance.

                           Senate Resolution

       Whereas, the Congress of the United States, as part of its 
     efforts to address the financial crisis confronting the 
     Social Security System, is considering a proposal mandating 
     Social Security coverage for public employees, including 
     public employees in Massachusetts who presently do not 
     participate in the Social Security system; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its cities 
     and towns provided retirement benefits to employees prior to 
     the creation of Social Security and, after being explicitly 
     precluded from participation in the Social Security System, 
     adopted a retirement structure providing adequate retirement 
     and survivor benefits to employees including vital benefits 
     for those permanently disabled in the line of duty; and
       Whereas, in the early 1980's the Commonwealth of 
     Massachusetts and its cities and towns were confronted by a 
     similar financial crisis in retirement funding which, through 
     the adoption of aggressive funding and investment policies 
     following major statutory reforms, has been averted resulting 
     in the secure financing of retirement benefits; and
       Whereas, conservative estimates indicate that such public 
     employee mandated Social Security coverage would impose 
     billions of dollars in added costs on public employers in the 
     Commonwealth of Massachusetts thereby diverting public 
     resources from education, public safety, public works, health 
     care and child care without having a serious impact on the 
     fiscal condition of the Social Security System; and
       Whereas, it has been determined that nationally such 
     mandatory Social Security coverage would provide a short term 
     fiscal solution that ultimately would extend the Social 
     Security trust fund solvency by only two years; and
       Whereas, the mandating of Social Security coverage for non-
     federal public employees may raise significant legal issues; 
     now therefore be it
       Resolved, that the Massachusetts Senate hereby urges the 
     Congress of the United States to reject any proposal to 
     reform Social Security that includes mandatory Social 
     Security coverage for public employees; and be it further
       Resolved, that a copy of these resolutions be transmitted 
     by the clerk of the Senate to the President of the United 
     States, the presiding officers of both Houses of Congress and 
     the entire congressional delegation from the Commonwealth.
                                  ____

       POM-120. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Hawaii relative to Social Security; to the 
     Committee on Finance.

                    House Concurrent Resolution 203

       Whereas, an administrative fee to process the state 
     supplement for Supplemental Security Income was implemented 
     by section 5102 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997; and
       Whereas, the administrative fee to process the state 
     supplement for Supplemental Security Income increases 
     annually, and in fiscal year 2003 will increase to coincide 
     with the Consumer Price Index; and
       Whereas, there is no increase in the services provided by 
     the Social Security Administration; and
       Whereas, therefore, in fiscal year 1999, Hawaii is paying 
     $7.60 to issue a supplement of $4.90; and
       Whereas, Hawaii must continue to pay the administrative fee 
     to avoid jeopardizing Medicaid reimbursements; and
       Whereas, the contracting of the state supplement for 
     Supplemental Security Income to a private vendor will 
     decrease eligibility for Aged, Blind, and Disabled 
     individuals because the Social Security Administration will 
     allow the State to use only the Supplemental Security Income 
     Federal Benefit Rate as the standard of assistance for all 
     individuals regardless of living arrangement; now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Twentieth 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, 
     the Senate concurring, That this body urges the United States 
     Congress, the President of the United States, and the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services to support United 
     States Senator Daniel K. Akaka, United States Senator Daniel 
     K. Inouye, United States Representative Neil Abercrombie, and 
     United States Representative Patsy T. Mink's federal 
     legislation to amend the Social Security Act in the following 
     manner:
       (1) To allow Hawaii to not issue a state supplement for 
     Supplemental Security Income;
       (2) To limit the cost of the administrative fees to process 
     the state supplement for Supplemental Security Income by 
     determining a maximum fee;
       (3) To prohibit the Social Security Administration from 
     increasing the amount of administrative fees to process the 
     state supplement for Supplemental Security Income without any 
     increase in services; and
       (4) To allow Hawaii to contract the processing of state 
     supplements for Supplemental Security Income to a private 
     vendor without being penalized by decreasing the standard of 
     assistance to the Federal Benefit Rate only; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That certified copies of this Concurrent 
     Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the President of the United States, the 
     Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human 
     Services, and the members of Hawaii's congressional 
     delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-121. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine relative to the proposed ``Prescription 
     Drug Fairness for Seniors Act''; to the Committee on Finance.

                            Joint Resolution

       We, your Memorialists, the Members of the One Hundred and 
     Nineteenth Legislature of the State of Maine now assembled in 
     the First Regular Session, most respectfully present and 
     petition the President of the United States and the United 
     States Congress, as follows:
       Whereas, the elderly of the United States are 14% of the 
     population and consume 30% of the prescription drugs and 
     Medicare does not cover the cost of prescription drugs except 
     in a very few cases; and
       Whereas, the House Government Reform and Oversight 
     Committee conducted studies in 20 congressional districts in 
     1998 and discovered there are vast differences between prices 
     that pharmaceutical companies charge their favored customers, 
     such as HMOs, large hospitals and the Federal Government, and 
     the prices they charge uninsured senior citizens; and
       Whereas, older Americans, who are often on fixed and 
     limited incomes, pay on the average nearly double the price 
     for prescription drugs that the favored customers of the 
     pharmaceutical companies pay; and
       Whereas, there is now before Congress legislation that 
     would address this inequity by protecting the elderly from 
     drug price discrimination and making prescription drugs 
     available to Medicare beneficiaries at substantially reduced 
     prices; and
       Whereas, the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act, 
     sponsored by Representative Tom Allen of the First District 
     in Maine and cosponsored by countless others, would not 
     establish new federal bureaucracy but would utilize an 
     existing pharmacy distribution system; and
       Whereas, this important legislation would ensure that no 
     older American would need to choose between buying food or 
     medicine or paying the basic bills or choosing to live in 
     pain and anxiety; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, request that the 
     President of the United States and the United States Congress 
     work together to pass this important and far-reaching 
     legislation that would help the elderly and, in turn, all 
     Americans; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United 
     States; the President of the United States Senate; the 
     Speaker of the House of Representative of the United States 
     and to each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.

                          ____________________