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Union Calendar No. 19

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 32

[Report No. 106–34]

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President and the Congress

should join in undertaking the Social Security Guarantee Initiative to

strengthen and protect the retirement income security of all Americans

through the creation of a fair and modern Social Security Program

for the 21st century.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 23, 1999

Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin introduced the following joint resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

MARCH 1, 1999

Additional sponsor: Mr. BURTON of Indiana

MARCH 1, 1999

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House

on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic]

JOINT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President

and the Congress should join in undertaking the Social

Security Guarantee Initiative to strengthen and protect

the retirement income security of all Americans through
2

•HJ 32 RH

the creation of a fair and modern Social Security Program for the 21st century.

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This joint resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Social Se5 curity Guarantee Initiative’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—

8 (1) the Social Security program provides bene9 fits to 44,000,000 Americans, including more than

10 27,000,000 retirees, 5,000,000 people with disabil11 ities, and 2,000,000 surviving children, and is essen12 tial to the dignity and security of the Nation’s elder13 ly, disabled, and their families;

14 (2) the Social Security program’s progressive

15 benefit structure is of particular importance to

16 women, due to their (A) longer life expectancies than

17 men, making the Social Security program’s lifetime,

18 inflation-adjusted benefits a critical income support

19 especially for widows; (B) lower average earnings;

20 and (C) lower pension and other retirement savings,

21 stemming in part from their lower incomes and their

22 spending an average of 11 years out of the paid

23 workforce caring for families;
3

•HJ 32 RH

1 (3) the approaching retirement of the Baby

2 Boom Generation will result in the Social Security

3 program’s benefit costs exceeding its tax revenues

4 beginning in 2013;

5 (4) the Social Security program faces looming

6 insolvency and instability in the next century so that

7 by 2032 the Social Security Trust Funds will be

8 fully depleted and the program will be able to honor

9 less than 75 percent of benefit commitments; and

10 (5) prompt action is necessary to restore Ameri11 cans’ confidence that their retirement benefits will

12 be protected.

13 SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

14 The President and the Congress should join in

15 strengthening and protecting the retirement income secu16 rity of all Americans through the creation of a fair and

17 modern Social Security program for the 21st century

18 that—

19 (1) ensures equal treatment across generations

20 to all Americans, especially minorities and other low21 income workers;

22 (2) recognizes the unique obstacles that women

23 face in ensuring retirement, disability, and survivor

24 security and the essential role that the Social Secu-
4

•HJ 32 RH

1 rity program plays in protecting financial stability

2 for women;

3 (3) provides a continuous benefit safety net for

4 workers, their survivors, their dependents, and indi5 viduals with disabilities;

6 (4) protects guaranteed lifetime benefits for

7 current retirees and those nearing retirement; and

8 (5) avoids any increase in taxes.

9 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

10 This joint resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Social Secu11 rity Guarantee Initiative’’.

12 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

13 The Congress finds that—

14 (1) the Social Security program provides benefits

15 to 44,000,000 Americans, including more than

16 27,000,000 retirees, 5,000,000 people with disabilities,

17 and 2,000,000 surviving children, and is essential to

18 the dignity and security of the Nation’s elderly, dis19 abled, and their families;

20 (2) the Social Security program’s progressive

21 benefit structure is of particular importance to

22 women, due to their (A) longer life expectancies than

23 men, making the Social Security program’s lifetime,

24 inflation-adjusted benefits a critical income support

25 especially for widows; (B) lower average earnings;
5

•HJ 32 RH

1 and (C) lower pension and other retirement savings,

2 stemming in part from their lower incomes and their

3 spending an average of 11 years out of the paid work4 force caring for families;

5 (3) the approaching retirement of the Baby

6 Boom Generation will result in the Social Security

7 program’s benefit costs exceeding its tax revenues be8 ginning in 2013;

9 (4) the Social Security program faces looming

10 insolvency and instability in the next century so that

11 by 2032 the Social Security Trust Funds will be fully

12 depleted and the program will be able to honor less

13 than 75 percent of benefit commitments; and

14 (5) prompt action is necessary to restore Ameri15 cans’ confidence that their retirement benefits will be

16 protected.

17 SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

18 The President and the Congress should join in

19 strengthening the Social Security program and protecting

20 the retirement income security of all Americans for the 21st

21 century in a manner that—

22 (1) ensures equal treatment across generations to

23 all Americans, especially minorities and other low-in24 come workers;
6

•HJ 32 RH

1 (2) recognizes the unique obstacles that women

2 face in ensuring retirement, disability, and survivor

3 security and the essential role that the Social Secu4 rity program plays in protecting financial stability

5 for women;

6 (3) provides a continuous benefit safety net for

7 workers, their survivors, their dependents, and indi8 viduals with disabilities;

9 (4) protects guaranteed lifetime benefits, includ10 ing cost-of-living adjustments that fully index for in11 flation, for current and future retirees; and

12 (5) does not increase taxes.

Amend the title so as to read as follows: ‘‘Joint resolution expressing the sense of the Congress that the

President and the Congress should join in undertaking

the Social Security Guarantee Initiative to strengthen the

Social Security program and protect the retirement income security of all Americans for the 21st century.’’.

Union Calendar No. 19

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 32

[Report No. 106–34]

JOINT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the

21st century.fair and modern Social Security Program for thecurity of all Americans through the creation of astrengthen and protect the retirement income setaking the Social Security Guarantee Initiative toPresident and the Congress should join in underMARCH 1, 1999

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee

dered to be printedof the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-