[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18023-18024]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 212--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT ANY 
  SAVINGS UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM SHOULD BE INVESTED BACK INTO THE 
    MEDICARE PROGRAM, RATHER THAN CREATING NEW ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS

  Mr. JOHANNS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Finance:

[[Page 18024]]



                              S. Res. 212

       Whereas the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund 
     established under section 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1395i) is projected to be insolvent by 2017; and
       Whereas the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) is the largest source 
     of general revenue spending on health care for both the 
     Federal government and the States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) any savings under the Medicare program under title 
     XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) 
     should be invested back into the Medicare program, rather 
     than creating new entitlement programs; and
       (2) any savings under the Medicaid program under title XIX 
     of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) should be 
     used to increase the Federal medical assistance percentage 
     (as defined in section 1905(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1396d(b)).

  Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, the Medicare and Medicaid Programs are 
the largest single purchaser of health care in the world. These 
programs account for over 20 percent of all U.S. Federal Government 
spending. More than 1 in 5 taxpayer dollars we actually spend will go 
to the Medicare or Medicaid Program. By the time my children become 
senior citizens, these two programs are projected to consume every 
dollar of tax revenue raised per year. Recently, the Medicare trustees 
reported that the Medicare Program is literally projected to be 
bankrupt by 2017, just 8 short years away. That is 2 years earlier than 
projected last year.
  Our ability to offer financial predictions provides little 
consolation to senior citizens who depend on the Medicare Program to 
receive their medical care. For the millions of baby boomers, my 
generation, expecting the Medicare Program to be there for them and 
their future health care needs, these projections basically say that on 
the current course, we are out of luck.
  Unfortunately, the Medicaid Program outlook is not much better, a 
program I am very familiar with as a prior Governor. Medicaid is the 
largest source of general revenue spending on health care for both the 
Federal Government and State governments. In fact, Medicaid represents 
40 percent of Federal Government general revenue spending on health 
care and 41 percent of such spending by the States. That is why, as 
economic conditions have continued to worsen, State Medicaid budgets 
are increasingly in crisis. States are struggling to pay Medicaid 
obligations and still balance their budgets. It is a tough job--I know 
from personal experience--one that is not for the faint of heart.
  The President is proposing, in my judgment, to exacerbate the problem 
by creating another government-run entitlement program. Of course, in 
order to pay for this new program, he has identified cuts in Medicare 
and Medicaid. Let's be clear: We have one soon-to-be-bankrupt program 
that consumes a huge chunk of health care spending today, and the 
rushed reform would take money from it to pay for a new health care 
program. Seriously, this is a vicious cycle and something we would only 
see in Washington. The American people deserve a better effort.
  I suggest that in the real world, when budgets get tight, leaders 
have to make very tough decisions. Programs are scrutinized with a 
fine-toothed comb to find out where savings can be found. If savings 
are identified, that money is used to shore up the programming 
shortfalls and to try to keep the current program viable. Medicare 
recipients are hoping we do that because the clock is ticking on their 
program. We don't see new programs created as existing programs fall 
deeper and deeper into the red. People and programs, they have to work 
together, rolling up their sleeves, prioritizing, scrutinizing every 
dollar in every program in order to fulfill current obligations, in 
order to meet the promise to those who are receiving the benefits 
today.
  I have laid down a resolution. That is why this resolution I am 
submitting today is necessary, to restore some semblance of sanity to 
the process. Simply put, this resolution says that if we find savings 
within the Medicare Program, we should put those savings back into the 
Medicare Program to keep the promise to our senior citizens that we 
will protect their program instead of creating yet another government 
entitlement program with the savings we have pulled from their program. 
It also says that if we find savings with the Medicaid Program, we 
should increase the Federal medical assistance percentage to help out 
States, to reduce the burden on State budgets; again, to fulfill the 
promise to those Medicaid recipients that we are serious about keeping 
their program going.
  These are very practical, commonsense views the vast majority of 
Americans would agree with. Fix the programs in existence, Medicaid and 
Medicare, keep the promise to those receiving the benefits today, 
instead of taking the money from those programs to start yet another 
gigantic program. If we identify true savings within these current 
entitlement programs, I propose we fulfill that promise to the millions 
of Americans who are relying upon these important Federal programs. 
After all, it is not practical to rob Peter to pay Paul, especially 
when both Peter and Paul are going broke.

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