[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 233-234]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017--Continued

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.


                            Amendment No. 19

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 19, which is at 
the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to setting aside the 
pending amendment?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Vermont [Mr. Sanders] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 19.

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading 
of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

 (Purpose: To prevent the Senate from breaking Donald Trump's promise 
    that ``there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and 
                              Medicaid'')

       At the end of title IV, add the following:

     SEC. 4__. POINT OF ORDER AGAINST LEGISLATION THAT WOULD BREAK 
                   DONALD TRUMP'S PROMISE NOT TO CUT SOCIAL 
                   SECURITY, MEDICARE, OR MEDICAID.

       (a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate 
     to consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, 
     amendment between the Houses, or conference report that 
     would--
       (1) result in a reduction of guaranteed benefits scheduled 
     under title II of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et 
     seq.);
       (2) increase either the early or full retirement age for 
     the benefits described in paragraph (1);
       (3) privatize Social Security;
       (4) result in a reduction of guaranteed benefits for 
     individuals entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under the 
     Medicare program under title XVIII of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1395 et seq.); or
       (5) result in a reduction of benefits or eligibility for 
     individuals enrolled in, or eligible to receive medical 
     assistance through, a State Medicaid plan or waiver under 
     title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
       (b) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or 
     suspended in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of three-
     fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative 
     vote of three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly 
     chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of 
     the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under 
     subsection (a).


                            Amendment No. 20

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the 
pending amendment and call up amendment No. 20.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Vermont [Mr. Sanders], for Ms. Hirono, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 20.

  Mr. SANDERS. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

        (Purpose: To protect the Medicare and Medicaid programs)

       At the end of title IV, add the following:

[[Page 234]]



     SEC. 4__. POINT OF ORDER AGAINST LEGISLATION THAT WOULD 
                   PRIVATIZE MEDICARE OR LIMIT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR 
                   MEDICAID.

       (a) Point of Order.--It shall not be in order in the Senate 
     to consider any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, 
     amendment between the Houses, or conference report that 
     would--
       (1) privatize the Medicare program under title XVIII of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) or turn the 
     program into a voucher system;
       (2) increase the eligibility age under the Medicare 
     program; or
       (3) block grant the Medicaid program under title XIX of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), impose per 
     capita spending caps on State Medicaid programs, or decrease 
     coverage under such program from current levels.
       (b) Waiver and Appeal.--Subsection (a) may be waived or 
     suspended in the Senate only by an affirmative vote of three-
     fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn. An affirmative 
     vote of three-fifths of the Members of the Senate, duly 
     chosen and sworn, shall be required to sustain an appeal of 
     the ruling of the Chair on a point of order raised under 
     subsection (a).

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