IV 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 72 

Expressing the sense of Congress that any legislative language approved 

by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not reduce 

benefits for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 1, 2011 

Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, 

Mr. TOWNS, Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. RICHARDSON, and Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that any legislative language approved by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit 

Reduction should not reduce benefits for Social Security, 

Medicare, and Medicaid recipients. 

Whereas S. 365, the ‘‘Budget Control Act of 2011’’, creates 

a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction tasked 

with providing recommendations and legislative language 

that will significantly improve the short-term and longterm fiscal imbalance of the Federal Government; 


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•HCON 72 IH 

Whereas large majorities of Americans want to address the 

deficit in a way that preserves Medicare, Medicaid, and 

Social Security benefits; 

Whereas the Medicare program reflects the Nation’s commitment to the health and independence of older Americans 

and Americans with disabilities by providing health care 

coverage to 42 million people; 

Whereas Medicare safeguards beneficiaries and their families 

from the ruinous costs of medical treatments and prevents individuals from spending unmanageable proportions of their incomes on medical care or being pushed 

into poverty by their medical bills; 

Whereas Medicaid provides a safety net for both low-income 

and middle-class families who may have family members 

stricken with catastrophic illness or injury or face prolonged infirmity in old age; 

Whereas cuts to Medicaid would severely impact low-income 

families and individuals with disabilities, and curtail access to critical services, including nursing home and community care services; 

Whereas cuts to Medicaid would limit the program’s ability 

to provide women without health care coverage with prenatal, maternity, and postnatal care and hamper the 

United States efforts to prevent infant and prenatal 

deaths; 

Whereas Social Security provides essential financial support 

to almost 55 million people in the United States, including more than 35 million retired workers; 

Whereas Social Security provides modest benefits averaging 

$14,000 per year for retired workers, based on contribuVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:51 Aug 02, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC72.IH HC72

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tions paid into Social Security over a worker’s lifetime of 

employment; 

Whereas Social Security can pay full benefits through 2035; 

Whereas Social Security has no borrowing authority, currently has $2.7 trillion in accumulated assets, and, therefore, does not contribute to the Federal budget deficit; 

and 

Whereas the citizens of the United States deserve thoughtful 

and fair Social Security reform to protect current and future benefits and to ensure ongoing retirement security 

for seniors, protections for persons who become disabled, 

and benefits for the young children and spouses of deceased and disabled workers: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by 

4 the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction 

5 should not balance the budget by eroding America’s 

6 hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net; 

7 (2) Medicare’s ability to deliver high quality 

8 health care in a cost-efficient manner should be 

9 strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for 

10 current and future retirees; 

11 (3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Se12 curity’s long-term outlook should ensure that Social 

13 Security remains a critical source of protection for 

14 the people of the United States and their families 


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1 without further increasing the retirement age or oth2 erwise decreasing benefits; and 

3 (4) Federal funding for the Medicaid program 

4 should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor 

5 and disabled children, and others with disabilities 

6 are able to gain and retain access to affordable 

7 health care. 

Æ 


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