IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 34 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Chained Consumer Price 

Index should not be used to calculate cost-of-living adjustments for 

Social Security benefits. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 18, 2013 

Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Mr. BARBER, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. 

BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, Ms. BROWN of Florida, 

Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, 

Ms. CHU, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DANNY K. 

DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. EDWARDS, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. ENYART, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. 

GARAMENDI, Mr. GRAYSON, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, 

Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. HAHN, Ms. HANABUSA, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, 

Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. JACKSON

LEE, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, 

Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KILDEE, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. LEE

of California, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. LYNCH, 

Mr. MAFFEI, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. MOORE, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. 

NOLAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PETERS of Michigan, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Mr. POCAN, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. RUSH, 

Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, 

Mr. SIRES, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. 

TONKO, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. VELA, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. 

WATERS, Mr. WELCH, Ms. WILSON of Florida, and Mr. SCOTT of Virginia) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Ways and Means 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Chained ConVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:56 Apr 18, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\HC34.IH HC34

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•HCON 34 IH 

sumer Price Index should not be used to calculate costof-living adjustments for Social Security benefits. 

Whereas the Social Security program was established more 

than 77 years ago and has provided economic security to 

generations of Americans through benefits earned based 

on contributions made over a worker’s lifetime; 

Whereas the Social Security program continues to provide 

modest benefits—averaging approximately $14,000 per 

year—to more than 53,000,000 individuals, including 

37,000,000 retired workers in February 2013; 

Whereas the Social Security program has no borrowing authority, has accumulated assets of $2,700,000,000,000, 

and, therefore, does not contribute to the Federal budget 

deficit; 

Whereas the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and 

Survivors Insurance Trust Fund projects that such Trust 

Fund can pay full benefits through 2032; 

Whereas the Social Security program is designed to ensure 

that benefits keep pace with inflation through cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that are based upon the measured changes in prices of goods and services purchased 

by consumers, currently the Consumer Price Index for 

Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI–W) 

published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a supplemental measure of inflation, the Chained Consumer Price 

Index for all Urban Consumers (C–CPI–U), or ‘‘Chained 

CPI’’, which adjusts for projected changes in consumer 

behavior resulting from price fluctuations known as the 

‘‘substitution effect’’, which occurs when consumers buy 


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•HCON 34 IH 

more goods and services whose prices are rising slower 

than average and less of those rising faster than average; 

Whereas studies indicate typical Social Security beneficiaries 

spend significantly greater shares of their budget than 

consumers generally on health care, prices for which have 

increased at higher than average rates, and health care 

may not be easily substituted for by consumers such as 

seniors; 

Whereas the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 

using the Chained CPI to calculate Social Security 

COLAs would reduce Social Security benefits by 0.25 

percent per year as compared to current policy, resulting 

in a reduction in outlays of $112,000,000,000 over the 

first decade; 

Whereas reductions in Social Security benefits from using the 

Chained CPI to calculate Social Security COLAs would 

continue to compound over time, and the AARP Public 

Policy Institute estimates that such reductions would 

grow to 3 percent after 10 years and 8.5 percent after 

30 years; 

Whereas Social Security Works estimates that using the 

Chained CPI to calculate Social Security COLAs would 

reduce annual Social Security benefits of the average 

earner—who is making $43,518—by $658 at age 75, 

$1,147 at age 85, and $1,622 at age 95; and 

Whereas reductions in Social Security benefits would harm 

some of our most vulnerable populations: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

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

3 Chained Consumer Price Index should not be used to calVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:56 Apr 18, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC34.IH HC34

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•HCON 34 IH 

1 culate cost of living adjustments for Social Security bene2 fits. 

Æ 


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