[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10998-10999]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           TEXT OF AMENDMENTS

  SA 550. Mr. ROCKEFELLER (for himself and Mr. Casey) submitted an

[[Page 10999]]

amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 535 submitted by Mr. 
Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Franken, Mr. 
Brown of Ohio, and Mr. Merkley) and intended to be proposed to the bill 
S. 1323, to express the sense of the Senate on shared sacrifice in 
resolving the budget deficit; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the end, add the following:

     SEC. _. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON PROTECTING MEDICAID.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) 68,000,000 low-income children, parents, pregnant 
     women, seniors and people with disabilities are served by the 
     Medicaid program.
       (2) After almost 50 years, Medicaid is still a life-saving 
     part of what we do as a government--by providing health care 
     to more than 20 percent of all Americans, including 40 
     percent of the births, 50 percent of long-term care, and, 
     along with the Children's Health Insurance Program, 34 
     percent of the children in our country.
       (3) Medicaid provides essential health coverage, furnishing 
     a usual source of care, lowering infant mortality rates, 
     improving the health of adults and children with chronic 
     illnesses and special health care needs, and providing 
     critical preventive care.
       (4) Medicaid provides essential coverage for seniors and 
     people with disabilities. It covers 62 percent of all long-
     term care services and supports. It also covers premiums and 
     co-payments on behalf of low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
       (5) The 9,000,000 beneficiaries who are dually eligible for 
     Medicaid and Medicare are among the most medically complex 
     beneficiaries and account for nearly 40 percent of Medicaid 
     spending, although they account for only 15 percent of 
     Medicaid enrollment. Significant Medicaid cuts would 
     undermine efforts to improve care and lower costs for this 
     group of beneficiaries.
       (6) Medicaid is a very efficient program. On average, after 
     adjusting for differences in health, Medicaid costs 27 
     percent less per child than private insurance and 20 percent 
     less for adults. Between 2000 and 2009, per beneficiary 
     spending grew at 4.6 percent compared to 7.7 percent growth 
     in premiums for employer sponsored insurance.
       (7) Medicaid is an economic engine supporting millions of 
     home-grown jobs at hospitals, nursing homes, community health 
     centers, and doctor's offices.
       (8) Medicaid is the health care program that helps States 
     during times of crises - including after the September 11th 
     attacks, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the recent floods 
     and tornados in the South and Midwest. It automatically 
     expands during an economic downturn to assist families who 
     lose their jobs and health insurance.
       (9) Medicaid is the largest source of Federal revenues for 
     States. According to the National Governors Association, 
     ``federal spending reductions for Medicaid will result in a 
     direct cost shift to States, which will result in reduced 
     Medicaid expenditures, increased State taxes or reductions in 
     K-12 education, transportation, and public safety funding.''
       (10) Cuts to federal Medicaid funding will force already 
     cash-strapped States to cut eligibility, benefits, and 
     provider payment rates, inevitably resulting in reduced 
     access to care for children, parents, pregnant women, seniors 
     and people with disabilities who have nowhere else to turn 
     for affordable, comprehensive coverage.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that any agreement to reduce the budget deficit should not 
     include arbitrary cuts to Medicaid that shift health care 
     costs to States and local governments and jeopardize health 
     care coverage for millions of Americans.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 551. Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. Merkley) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2055, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2012, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       On page 84, between lines 5 and 6, insert the following:
       Sec. 127. (a) Using funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this title under the heading ``Department of 
     Defense Base Closure Account 2005'', and notwithstanding the 
     deadline specified in section 2904(a)(5) of the Defense Base 
     Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of 
     Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note), the Umatilla 
     Chemical Depot, Oregon, shall be closed as part of the 2005 
     round of defense base closure and realignment after the 
     completion of chemical demilitarization activities required 
     under the Chemical Weapons Convention, as provided under 
     Recommendation #160 of the final report of the 2005 Defense 
     Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
       (b) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this or any other Act may be obligated or 
     expended to close Umatilla Army Chemical Depot outside of the 
     process provided for under the 2005 round of defense base 
     closure and realignment.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 552. Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. Merkley) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2055, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2012, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       On page 84, between lines 5 and 6, insert the following:
       Sec. 127.  None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available by this or any other Act may be obligated or 
     expended to close Umatilla Army Chemical Depot outside of the 
     process provided for under the 2005 round of defense base 
     closure and realignment pursuant to Recommendation #160 of 
     the final report of the 2005 Defense Base Closure and 
     Realignment Commission.

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